This Divided Loyalty
by TheObsessedBookworm
Summary: Link is searching for his twin brother, Dark, who was stolen away by a sorcerer ten years ago. When he finally finds said twin again, though, Link discovers he's been turned into a soldier for the enemy - for Ganondorf. With Dark hell-bent on killing him, Link is determined to bring his brother back to the light, no matter what it takes.
1. Prologue

_**AN: Well, here it is. The story that got the most votes on my poll. Honestly I was going to postpone uploading this for a bit longer, but I've been agonising over the first chapter for a while and so I just decided to put it out there and see what people thought of it. I'm going to try and upload this weekly, if I can't then fortnightly, but I'll try my hardest to not go any longer than that!  
That's enough rambling, on with the new story! I hope you enjoy.  
**_**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Legend of Zelda, which is probably a good thing.

Prologue:

There was a time, during a fierce war that shook Hyrule to its core, when a mother sought to escape the chaos plaguing the land by fleeing to the forbidden forest of the Kokiri. She ran far, fleeing across the country with her two newborn sons, twins no more than a few months old.

However, before she could reach safety a sorcerer set upon her and her family, the attack leaving her mortally wounded and one of her sons cursed. The curse transformed him into a creature of shadow, destined never to live in the light, with the only colour left behind the blood red of his eyes.

The mother, who would not see the next sunrise, begged that the great Deku Tree raise her sons and protect them from any further harm. The Deku Tree agreed, and so the two brothers were raised into a carefree, easy life alongside the Kokiri. One brother was named Link and the other, with the simple innocence known only to children, was named Dark. They grew up happy, side by side, for almost seven years.

However, it was during that seventh year that darkness once more came to them, in the form of a great sorcerer who knew of Link's part to play in his demise. He sought out the child of shadow and took him, snatched him away from the peaceful green of the forest and led him into the darkness to which he belonged.

Since that day his brother has been tirelessly, relentlessly searching for him.


	2. Chapter 1 - Link

**_AN: Rapid-fire first chapter, enjoy! Just a quick note, this story is going is going to switch between Link and Dark's POV's, and while I'll try to keep it quite regular I can't make any promises.  
Well, on with the show!_**

One - Link

Why was this happening to him?

He was soaked to the bone, battered and bruised, and the brother he'd lost nearly ten years ago was trying to kill him.

_Why_, was all Link could wonder as he stared up into a pair of cold eyes, trying to find even a scrap of the boy he'd known before in the bloody red irises. All he saw was ice and something like amusement as the sword inched closer to his throat, his trembling arms the only thing keeping it at bay. He could feel it digging into his fingers where they were curled around its edges, which felt almost impossibly sharp.

It was definitely his brother; there was no question about that. With his charcoal skin, bloody red eyes, the face that was identical to his… it couldn't have been anyone else. Which begged the question of why, exactly, he was trying to kill Link.

Magic, maybe?

But magic or no magic Link was still in a horrible situation. Flat on his back in the middle of what was probably the strangest room in the entire Water Temple, with his sword and shield abandoned nearby – they'd been forced from his hands by simple brute force – as his brother's cold, surprisingly heavy body pinned him down, sword hovering above his neck. It was hard to breathe what with his stomach being slowly crushed from where it was being sat on, and trying to free himself only worsened the pain. But what else could he do? He wasn't exactly about to let his head get cut off.

Dragging his heels against the floor Link squirmed, bracing his elbows back against the cold… _whatever_ the floor was made of as he continued to push up against the sword that was now almost touching his neck. With his head tilted back he couldn't really see it but it was like he could _feel_ it there, like the imminent danger was giving off a cold aura that pressed against his throat to remind him that, no matter how great his destiny was supposed to be, he was still a horribly vulnerable, mortal Hylian. Especially to swords that happened to be about to decapitate him.

"Get- get _off_!" He managed, the words coming out loud and strained. He gave another heave that pushed the blade maybe a hand's breadth further away, but even as he did his brother leaned forward to let a little more of his weight fall back on it. Link struggled for a moment, until he could feel the sharp edge brushing his neck, before going still. Wriggling would probably only get him hurt faster, anyway.

Tilting his head to the side Link made sure his hands stayed between him and the blade; at least that way it would have further to go before reaching his throat. Not that he wanted to get his fingers cut off, but he could live without fingers. He couldn't exactly live without a head, now could he?

Cold water splashed against his face as he pressed it back against the floor, its whispers filling the ear now under it. He grimaced as its stagnant, decaying smell filled his nose.

There was something off about the whole room, and not just its stuffy silence or the fact it didn't look like it had walls or a floor. It was something else, like a presence, heavy and dark and distracting. That was the reason he was in the situation he was in; he'd let it distract him and that had given his opponent the upper hand. Well, that and the fact that seeing the brother he had lost so long ago had kind of caught him off guard. Just a little.

Of course Link had known he would find him, he had vowed as much to himself, but never in a million years would he have thought it would be in the Water Temple of all places. And he _definitely_ hadn't expected that same brother to immediately attack him with the intent to kill.

"Why-" Link took a painful breath, his entire body aching. His arms were screaming bloody murder, his stomach was in agony from where it was still steadily being crushed. "Why're you doing this?! Dark it's me – it's Link- don't tell me you forgot or something?" The words came out kind of garbled from strain, catching in his throat a little painfully. What if Dark _had_ forgotten him?

No, there was no way.

"How could I possibly forget you?" Dark's voice was cool, irritatingly mocking. "No, I'm afraid I'm just following orders." Link's head snapped forward again so that he could see Dark's face.

"Orders?" He repeated incredulously, blinking up at his brother stupidly. _Orders_? Whose orders?

"Well, we can't have you messing up Ganondorf's plans any more than you already have, can we?" Dark raised an eyebrow like he thought Link was being thick, but Link was too distracted to pay it any notice.

Dark was… working for _Ganondorf_?! But how? And _why_? Magic? Some kind of freaky mind control? There was no way Dark would be working for him willingly. No _way_. Ganondorf was the one who'd taken him in the first place, wasn't he? It wasn't possible. Ganondorf was _evil_! Power-hungry and ruthless, wasn't that what the Princess had said?

So why, in all three of the Goddesses' names, was Dark _working for him_?!

Link's thoughts spun in useless circles for a moment, before a sudden increase in the pressure on his arms jolted him back to the situation at hand. The horrible, life-threatening one he really couldn't afford to be distracted from. Not even if his brother was-

No, he wouldn't think about it. He needed to stay alive to do that, and right then his odds weren't looking too great. He could think about it all he liked once he got free and it seemed less likely he was going to get his head cut off.

"Are you back with us, Mr Hero?" Dark's voice was taunting, which grated on Link's nerves. Since when, exactly, had his brother been such a jerk? "I thought I had lost you for a moment there."

"You're working for- for _Ganondorf_?" Ignoring the jibe Link returned to the most pressing question, stumbling over the words as Dark shifted slightly, sending another jolt of crushing pain through his stomach. His breaths hitched painfully, snagging somewhere in his throat.

"Well, yeah." Dark tilted his head slightly, eyebrows raised. "Why else would I be here in this shoddy temple?"

Something was twisting in Link's chest, clenching painfully around his heart like a hand. A hand with claws. Sharp claws. Something like anger flared up inside him. This was _not_ what he had expected. This made Dark his enemy, didn't it? This put them on opposite sides, surely, what with him trying to defeat Ganondorf and Dark trying to… not defeat him.

The only reason he'd ever left the forest was to look for his brother. He had hoped that, at some point on his travels, he would find Dark, safe and well and _not_ smack bang in the middle of all this drama.

But no.

He was working for Ganondorf. Working. For. Ganondorf_._ _Ganondorf_. Great, just great. It was just one misfortune after another, wasn't it? The goddesses had a twisted sense of humour, if this was the fate they'd come up with for their chosen Hero.

For some odd reason Link wanted to laugh. It was so absurd. All that time, all that effort, all that hoping and praying, and _this_ was what had awaited him? _This_ was the goddesses' answer? His brother, who he'd cried and lost sleep over a countless number of times, who he'd spent every waking moment of his life searching for since his kidnapping, was the enemy. He was working for none other than the one who had stolen him away, who'd caused Link, the Kokiri, even the great and powerful _Deku Tree_ so much pain.

"Watch out! _Link!_" The sudden shrill voice snapped Link out of his unhappy, runaway thoughts, in time to realise that the weight was gone from his arms as Dark lifted his sword in a way that said he was about to run Link through with it. Without hesitation.

Link lifted his hands with no clue as to what he was going to do to stop the blade from falling beyond maybe trying to catch it. It was a horrible idea, he knew that, but there wasn't exactly anything else he could do, was there? It was the best he could come up with in the split-second he had.

"Wait- Dark-" He didn't get to finish as a small ball of blue light slammed into Dark's temple, sending him reeling sideways. The sword dropped, bouncing harmlessly against the floor. Link huffed a startled sigh of relief, heart thudding in his chest with enough force to make his skin jump uncomfortably. His head throbbed with it as he collapsed back against the floor, not caring as cold water splashed up his head when he did.

"Get _off_ of him!" Navi trilled, her shrill voice not even slightly threatening as her wings fluttered angrily. Dark made a savage noise, swinging his sword in Navi's direction. She flew out of reach, her small body humming with anger. If she'd been furry Link bet all her hairs would've been stood up on end.

Collecting his wits Link took advantage of Dark's distraction, twisting violently and wriggling instinctively until he managed to dislodge the cold body sat on him and scramble out from underneath it, scooping up his sword as he went. He didn't have time to collect his shield as he spun, sword at the ready, not wanting to turn his back on Dark for any longer than was absolutely necessary.

"Link, are you all right?" Navi fluttered to his side, her wings making soft chiming noises in his ear.

"Yeah, fine. Thanks." Link turned, meaning to flash her a grateful grin, only for her small but unexpectedly solid body to bounce off of _his_ temple. "Ow! _What_ was that for?"

"What were you _doing_?" She demanded, her body glowing angrily. "The middle of a fight is _no_ place to start spacing out."

"Sorry," Link mumbled, rubbing his temple gingerly as he kept his attention fixed warily on Dark, who was now also on his feet, sword resting casually on his shoulder. "I was just… kinda shocked."

Puffing out his cheeks as he heaved a weary sigh Link met Dark's red eyes, trying to sort his muddled emotions. He'd hoped to see a least a little of his confusion reflected in his brother's eyes but there was nothing but that stupid, flat red. He was a mess of anger, betrayal, sadness, relief and elation while Dark was completely calm, like he was made of stone or something. It made Link feel kind of sick. What had Ganondorf done to his brother to make him so… so inhuman?

"Oh, don't give me that look," Dark sighed, tipping his head back briefly. "Those doe eyes won't work on me anymore." For a moment Link was confused before he frowned, if anything more bewildered once he understood Dark's words. More than once during the time before Ganondorf had kidnapped him Link had managed to convince Dark to do all manner of stupid, _maybe_ dangerous things with a pleading look or two. If he still remembered all of that then… why? _Why_?!

"I don't understand," Link said slowly, letting the end of his sword fall to rest on the ground. The emotions warring inside him had suddenly settled somewhat, and he could suddenly feel a deep, insistent ache that had settled in his chest. It felt like his heart was slowly being crushed, crumbling away to dust beneath his ribs.

He just… didn't understand.

What had he done to make Dark hate him so much? To make Dark so desperately want to kill him? Even if they _had_ been apart for almost ten years Link would never even dream of hurting Dark, so why wasn't it the same the other way round?

"No, you don't," Dark agreed, swinging his sword lazily through the air. "But it's not that hard – I'm following orders, just the same as you."

"I'm not following any orders," Link argued, somehow not liking the idea.

"You're not?" Dark raised an eyebrow, looking like he expected Link to say something. When he didn't Dark sighed. "So you're _not_ obeying Princess Zelda? Or that fairy of yours? Oh, by the way, congratulations on getting one, what with your not being a Kokiri and all." From the corner of his eye Link saw Navi prickle slightly; apparently that had annoyed her.

"I'm not following anyone's orders," Link repeated stubbornly. "The only reason I'm here is 'cause I was looking for you – just like I have been since Ganondorf _kidnapped _you." Dark opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again as he tilted his head like he was thinking. A moment later he spoke.

"No – no if I recall you were _asleep_ for seven years, were you not? I highly doubt you were doing very much looking at _all_ during that time, were you?" Link immediately made to argue then realised there wasn't anything he could say. It was true, and it stung horribly.

If only Dark knew how angry he'd been when he'd woken up to find he'd lost seven years of his life he could've spent looking for his brother.

"You don't really want to kill me though, do you?" Link finally asked, his resistance to even thinking the question making his voice pathetically weak and small. Just asking it hurt, the words burning his tongue as he said them. Dark watched him for a moment before sighing a small sigh.

"No, I don't want to kill you. But orders are orders. I can't feasibly let you leave and continue ruining Ganondorf's plans, you see?" He said, voice the softest it had been yet. It sounded almost like a person's voice, instead of a block of ice's.

Link stared at him silently, not sure what to feel. Should he be glad that Dark didn't actually want to kill him or miserable because he was going to anyway? What had Ganondorf done to his brother?

Anger suddenly washed over him, so strong it made his hands tremble. He couldn't tell what its focus was – was it himself, for having failed to find Dark sooner? Ganondorf, for all the things he had done? Or Dark, for working for the man who'd kidnapped him and killed the Deku Tree? Why was he so determined to follow Ganondorf's orders? Link couldn't care less about the fate of Hyrule if it meant he had to fight his brother – properly fight, not just some stupid squabble between siblings.

"What are you, his servant?!" He exploded, unable to contain himself and clenching the handle of his sword tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "If you don't wanna kill me then _don't_. It's not that hard – don't just mindlessly obey him!"

"I could say the same to you, and we could debate this all day," Dark said, back to being as cool as ever even as Link yelled at him. "But I'm not here to debate; I'm here to stop you from causing any more trouble." As he spoke he lifted his sword, sliding into an offensive position. Link responded instinctively to the threat, lifting his own sword with difficulty. His arms were unexpectedly heavy, like something was suddenly weighing them down, and they shook slightly as he tried to keep the sword in the air. It was like all the fight had left him, leaving him drained and shaky.

Not that he'd ever _wanted_ to fight Dark or anything. He just suddenly felt like he didn't even have the will to defend himself anymore. His own brother wanted to kill him. What could possibly be worse than that? Maybe he should just let him, if it meant he could go on living peacefully. Even if it _was_ under Ganondorf.

There was something messed up about that, Link realised. His brother – the Hero of Hyrule's brother – was Ganondorf's – the destroyer of Hyrule's – servant. It seemed so wrong on so many levels. Link didn't even want to think about it.

"Would you _stop_ spacing out already?" Dark, again, interrupted his thoughts and Link blinked, lifting his eyes from where they'd dropped to the floor. "Seriously, do you value your life at all? I could have killed you about ten times by now you're so out of it."

"So why haven't you?" Link asked, frowning. "You seem to want to badly enough." He hadn't really meant for the anger or the pain he was feeling to leak out into his voice but it was there nonetheless, cracking his words as they left his mouth. His throat felt so tight he almost couldn't speak.

Dark was really willing to kill him. All because of Ganondorf. Just the thought of the man's name was suddenly making Link's jaw clench painfully tight.

Dark stared at him silently for a long moment, like he was about to say something but couldn't bring himself to. How different they were, just like always. Link couldn't control himself, Dark couldn't let himself go. The look on his shadowy face definitely said he wanted to, as his jaw clenched and unclenched slowly for a moment.

"I already told you – I have no particular desire to kill you. Why do you seem so determined to think that?" Dark asked, seeming genuinely bothered by it.

"Because it's easier to accept than you working for Ganondorf," Link admitted before he'd really thought the words through. They just sort of spilled out. "I left you alone for ten years, alone with Ganondorf and whatever monsters he makes with his magic, so I can understand you hating me. But working for him? Killing me, your _brother_, just 'cause he asked you to? No, no I just don't get it."

"You don't need to understand," Dark said, and his words suddenly had an edge. The first hint of emotion he'd shown this entire time. Had some Link'd said annoyed him? "Just fight. I don't particularly want to kill someone who's not even trying."

"Then I won't try," Link said, deepening his frown. He let his suddenly heavy sword fall back to the ground, watching Dark follow its progress for a second.

"Goddesses, you're still so stubborn," Dark sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes pointedly. "I said I didn't want to, not that I wouldn't."

Goddesses, he just wouldn't give up would he? Why was he so determined to kill his own brother? Why had he even thought about it at all? Surely it couldn't all be because of Ganondorf – there had to be some kind of anger there to spur him on. That – that Link could understand. This blind faith in a power-hungry maniac? Not a chance.

"I'm not gonna let you kill me, or go back to Ganondorf," Link said. "But I don't want to fight you – we don't have to do this."

"So what, you expect me to come back with you to the forest? Maybe lend you a hand in your epic Hero's quest?" Dark shook his head. "I hate to disappoint you but I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you."

Link finally realised he had no others options, and though it was painful he knew what he had to do. He was going to have to beat some sense into his _stupid_ twin brother, knock that weird obedience right out of his head. The thought that it would let him get some kind of one-up on Ganondorf made it a little more bearable. Stealing his best soldier – and Link had no doubt that if anyone was Ganondorf's best soldier it was his brother – was better than anything he could ever accomplish in the temples. What could ruin a man's plan better than taking out one of his most powerful players?

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to drag you back with me," he finally said, a slight grin pulling at his mouth at the anticipation of a fight. Even if he didn't want to fight Dark the adrenalin still got his heart racing. Maybe it was just the excitement of taking a step towards _destroying_ Ganondorf.

"Now that I would like to see," Dark replied, an identical grin crossing his face briefly. "Whatever happened to not trying?"

"Shut it, you," Link said, widening his grin as he once more lifted his sword. Somehow it felt miraculously lighter as a little of the pain ebbed from his chest. He'd found the best option, he was sure. He wasn't going to let Dark leave again, not for anything.

_**So, first chapter! I hope you enjoyed - let me know what you thought 'cause I'm really not sure, and I really appreciate any and all feedback! Thanks for reading, see you next week!**_


	3. Chapter 2 - Dark

_**I decided that I liked updating on a Wednesday more than on a Friday, so this chapter's a little early, hooray! So, great big thanks to silverheartlugia2000 and WolfenAmphithere for being the first to review this story, you guys are awesome!  
Now, on with the chapter!  
**_

Two - Dark

Why was this happening to him?

He had underestimated Link, he really had. Maybe he should have taken more heed of the relentless pace with which the Hero had dispatched Ganondorf's minions, or the fact that he had survived every battle he had faced so far. Every single one.

With, as far as Dark could tell, barely a scratch.

But he hadn't, and now the entire left side of his head was aching fit burst from where Link had punched him hard enough to knock him out cold, something he was sure would be to his everlasting shame. He supposed he deserved it, for doubting _his_ brother of all people, but that didn't stop it hurting any less. His head felt a little like it was slowly being crushed by a giant hand.

At some point they had left the temple – something Dark had no recollection of whatsoever – and now he was slung over the back of Link's temperamental mare, his hands bound as his sword hung out of reach. If his head hadn't been throbbing quite so loudly or insistently he could have easily slipped out of his bindings, because they weren't exactly tight, but as it was he just couldn't bring himself to move. Moving seemed like a horrible idea, escape even more so, even if he had no doubt in his mind that Link wouldn't hurt him. Well, any more than he already had. To be honest, though, that was only because Dark had forced his hand in the first place.

He groaned softly into the warm flank his head was resting against as he was again jolted by the horse's movements. They were slow, hardly aggravating, but still intensified the pounding in his skull.

"Back with us, Mr Servant?" Link's voice wormed its way into his ears and he groaned again at the obvious mocking as his own line was fed back to him. "How's the head?"

"You- are a horrible person," Dark moaned, lifting his bound hands as much as he could to touch his face gingerly. Stinging pain shot through his skull in response to the contact, making him hiss softly before slumping back against the mare.

He tugged gently, discreetly, on the restraints around his wrists. He could slip out of them any time he wanted, but at present he didn't want to. Maybe this was for the best anyway. He could lull Link into a false sense of security; strike when he and his bothersome fairy least expected it.

"I had to do it," Link said, voice not even slightly apologetic. "Self-defence and all that." Dark rolled his eyes.

Normally someone in that situation would fight to the death, surely? Not just knock out their opponent before tying them up and slinging them over the back of their horse.

Closing his eyes Dark let himself relax, thinking things through as the horse plodded on. The memory of the moment Ganondorf had assigned him his mission – kill Link, do it soon, don't mess up – rose to the forefront of his mind. It had been like the floor had fallen out from underneath him. He had been so scared, because for all the negative feelings he harboured against his brother he had never, not once, wanted to hurt him. But he hadn't had a choice, so he had gone to the Water Temple and he had waited. And when Link had come barging into that room, arguing with his fairy about some trivial thing, Dark had thought he wouldn't be able to do it. They might have been apart for ten long years, but he still couldn't kill his own brother, surely?

But he found his resolve. When they had gone straight past, straight to the other door, he had seen that things were the same as they had always been. So he had summoned his strength, cast aside his frail emotions, focused on nothing beyond fulfilling Ganondorf's will.

And now he was lying over the back of a horse, his hands tied, his head throbbing. Captured by the very person he had meant to kill. The goddesses must have been laughing at him.

How was he ever going to face Ganondorf after this?

Groaning quietly at his failure Dark placed his head in his hands, wanting nothing more than to be let off the horse so that the ground could open up and swallow him. It was so _humiliating_. He couldn't believe he had let Link, the so-called 'Hero', best him. Render him unconscious, even.

He would just have to make the best he could of his horrible situation. He may have lost the battle, but Link still hadn't won the war. There would be plenty more opportunities for him to make use of in the future, so he would just have to wait patiently for them to present themselves.

"Here, take this." Link's voice prompted Dark to raise his head a little, squinting up into the painfully bright sunlight to find the Hero twisted round in the saddle with a hand outstretched. There was a small glass bottle held lightly in his fingers, the red of its contents glittering in the light. Dark stared at it for a moment before lying flat again.

"No, thank you," he said, well aware of the grumpiness that entered his voice. His head hurt too much to try and maintain his calm, cold façade.

"What? Why?" Link sounded incredulously indignant, going to far as to poke Dark in the temple with the bottle. Recoiling Dark twisted his head to throw a glare at the green-clad Hero, who scowled right back childishly.

"I hate cheating," Dark said, glancing at the bottle disdainfully. "I'll heal perfectly fine without _that_." Link raised his eyebrows, looking between Dark and the jar briefly before shrugging.

"Fine, whatever you say. You were just groaning so much I figured you'd want some."

"It wasn't from pain," Dark informed him as he tucked the bottle away, feeling a slight twinge of irritation that was aimed mostly at himself. Being stubborn wasn't exactly going to help him ingratiate himself with his estranged brother, even if said brother seemed perfectly willing to immediately revert back to the relationship they had shared when they were seven.

They lapsed into silence, with Link steering his horse as Dark watched the grass pass by below them, counting the flowers he saw as a way to distract himself. The silence let his mind run free and presently he wasn't in a situation that made that in any way plausible. He needed a clear head to think his way out of it; losing himself in the past would leave him with anything but that.

"I just don't get it," Link finally broke the silence after a few minutes that felt more like hours. Dark lifted his eyes for a moment before slumping again, grunting to let the Hero know he was listening. "I really just don't get it. Maybe I'm just stupid but-"

"You don't get it?" Dark supplied, rolling his eyes to himself. "And what don't you get, O all-powerful Hero?"

"Would you stop with the names?" Link grouched, relenting a moment later with a soft sigh. "I don't get why you're working for him."

"Are you _still_ persisting with that?" Dark complained. "What is there to not understand? I follow Ganondorf, you follow Princess Zelda."

"But he _kidnapped_ you!" Link protested, shifting agitatedly. His horse gave a snort that sounded vaguely annoyed, though Dark was probably imagining things.

"That's not-" Cutting himself off with a harsh noise Dark shook his head. He couldn't let himself get agitated. If he did he would probably say or do something he would end up regretting.

"Not what?" Link caught on to his hesitation, throwing Dark a brief, sharp look over his shoulder.

"That's not the point," Dark said, wriggling his hands in their bindings. He felt them give a little and pulled harder, trying to be as subtle as he could. "What's done is done, don't complain about it now."

"I don't need a lecture, thanks," Link griped. "Seriously, what happened to you, Dark? You're so mean now."

"I grew up," Dark said shortly. "And I haven't changed that much." Link didn't say anything, just gave a thoughtful hum that sounded distinctly sceptical. Dark pulled a face at his back, annoyed by the sense of righteousness he could feel flowing from the Hero.

Link hadn't changed much either, really. Yes, he had grown taller, and he was a little more battle-worn now, but as far as Dark couldn't tell he really hadn't changed much at all. He was still cheerful, if a little irritable; he still jumped into things headfirst without thinking; he still fought his hardest for what he saw as the right thing to do. From where Dark was sat he was exactly the same. How had ten years changed him in Link's eyes?

Silence fell once more, in which Dark continued to loosen his restraints. They were pathetic, to say the least. Had Link put in _any_ effort at all? Maybe he was waiting to see what Dark would do. That made two of them, because Dark still had no idea what his plan was. Did he free himself and bolt? Go back to Ganondorf to report his failure? Wait for an opportunity to try again? He didn't really feel any desire to return with reports of a less than positive nature, especially when they were entering the critical stages of the plan… In the end there really wasn't much choice, was there?

All the same, bolting was looking more and more appealing the longer he spent slung across a horse's rump. It was excruciatingly uncomfortable. Perhaps it was some kind of payback for him sitting on Link.

Maybe his brother _had_ changed more than he had thought. The Link he remembered had never been one to hold grudges.

"Hey- what are you doing?" Dark winced as a sudden bright blue light flared beside his face, closely followed by an irritatingly shrill voice. He immediately stilled his hands, which had still been twisting the ropes half-heartedly. Glaring at the fairy he didn't respond, simply fixing her with a baleful look.

"What's up, Navi?" Link asked without turning, and something that felt distinctly poisonous twisted in Dark's stomach. He forced it down before it could show on his face and freak 'Navi' out.

"He's trying to get free," the fairy replied, fluttering right in front of Dark's eyes. He grimaced at the brightness, recoiling just slightly. It made the skin on his face prickle unpleasantly, even painfully where the bruises from Link's fist lay. A shiver shot down his spine at the close proximity to the light, lifting the hairs along his arms as it went.

Pursing his lips Dark exhaled sharply, deliberately sending the fairy reeling. She made a startled noise and, from the corner of his eye, Dark saw Link's head snap round in response. He gritted his teeth, looking away as the poisonous feeling intensified.

"You all right, Navi?" Link asked as the fairy, now bristling, returned to his side.

"He's trying to get loose, Link," she warned. "Why did you bring him with us?"

"I wasn't gonna let him go back to Ganondorf," Link said, sounding vaguely like a sulking child. "He's my brother, no way am I gonna let him go back to that maniac." Dark swallowed the words that jumped to the tip of his tongue, instead just tugging at his bindings savagely. They scraped against his skin painfully but he welcomed the burn of friction, needing a distraction from his rising ire.

"But _Link_," Navi protested, voice rising to an even more irritating shrill. "He's dangerous – he was trying to kill you not an hour ago!" Dark gave a final fierce tug and his hands came free. He flexed his fingers for a moment, flapping his hands about as the heat from the ropes lingered in his skin.

Now. What exactly was the next part of his plan?

He didn't get a chance to decide when the horse suddenly gave a loud whinny of what sounded like fright and bolted. The sudden jolt pitched Dark sideways, off the horse and straight to the floor. He hit the ground hard, the air forced from his lungs as he rolled slightly in an attempt to soften the impact. Once he stilled he lay gasping, trying to suck in at least a little air as pain radiated up and down his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut as his head ached savagely, trying to focus on anything other than the various discomforts currently plaguing his body.

As he lay there, listening to his racing heartbeat and trying to force his limbs to move, he distinctly heard the soft, echoing giggle of a Poe, uncomfortably close. That must have been what had spooked Link's horse.

Forcing himself upright with a grimace Dark rolled his shoulders gingerly, searching for the source of the noise. It took little more than a second to find it; a Great Poe had materialised nearby, drifting closer with a malicious look in its glowing eyes as it locked onto its target. Link's heroic presence must have been rubbing off on him, because monsters usually ignored him unless he deliberately annoyed them. From what he knew they flocked to the Hero, all vying to kill him, whereas they considered Dark to be among their ranks.

As ever, the thought made him grit his teeth angrily.

"Dark! Get down!" Link's voice reached his ears, drawing Dark's eyes away from the approaching threat briefly. Link was running towards him, having apparently alighted from his horse, his bow drawn and an arrow nocked to the string. Rolling his eyes Dark ignored him, turning back to the Poe which was now dangerously close.

"Do I really look that weak to you?" He asked no one in particular softly, earning himself a mocking, chattering laugh from the Poe as he raised a hand, splaying his fingers as he pointed it in the Poe's direction and concentrated.

After a pause of a second or so bright streaks of energy began gathering around his palm, quickly coalescing into a ball with a small exertion of will. The skin of his hand began prickling unpleasantly and he tried to ignore it, though it rapidly increased in ferocity. When it grew unbearable he loosed the magic, throwing it away from him before it could do any proper damage. It slammed straight into the Poe's face as it loomed above him, lantern creaking softly, and the spirit gave a wail before bursting into flames. The shriek hung in the air until there was nothing left but a small dusting of ash of the ground before Dark, atop which sat an empty lantern.

Exhaling sharply Dark sat back, blowing on his hand as white-hot needles of pain stabbed into it, leaving not a single part un-pricked. It really wasn't a type of magic best suited to him, light-based as it was, but it was certainly handy in situations like these. Even if casting it did hurt.

Just another nuisance to add to his growing list of problems.

"Are you all right?" Link's voice once more distracted him as the Hero appeared at his side, panting softly. "That was _awesome_." Dark didn't say anything, just blew softly on his hand again. Flexing his fingers slowly he peered at the skin of his hand, making sure there wasn't any damage. There wasn't, it just felt a little sore.

"Did you visit the Great Fairies too?" Link asked and Dark scoffed before he could stop himself. He highly doubted they would even let him near, let alone grant him spells like they had Link.

"No, Ganondorf taught me," Dark said, climbing to his feet slowly as he rubbed his bruised back. Catching the look on Link's face he smiled tautly. "Not so awesome now, eh?" For a moment Link scrambled for something to say before turning his attention to his pockets briefly, a moment later offering Dark the small jar full of red potion once more.

"Seriously, I really think you could use some of this," he said, shaking the bottle slightly. Dark watched the liquid within swirl up against the glass sides, leaving faint trails in its wake. "You fell pretty hard, and your face is looking kinda swollen."

"And whose fault would that be?" Dark raised an eyebrow, reaching up a hand to touch the bruises gently. "Do you really think it would be sensible to let me regain my strength? I was sent to kill you – something I still plan on doing, just so you know."

"Eh." Link made a noncommittal noise as he shrugged a shoulder. "I beat you once already. I'm not worried."

Dark barely caught the outrage that shot through him before it reached his face, instead reaching out to snatch the bottle from Link. Tempted as he was to throw it at something – most likely Link's head – he simply tucked it into a pocket. Maybe it _would_ come in handy later, and depleting Link of his store of magical healing potion seemed like a sensible thing to do.

"You're far too trusting, Link," Dark warned as the Hero turned to look in the direction his horse had bolted, a hand lifted to shield his eyes from the sun. Shifting slightly Dark folded his arms, eyes drifting to his left boot, which housed a dagger that, in this situation, would probably be completely useless. If only his sword hadn't still been hanging from Link's saddle. This would have been the perfect opportunity to strike.

"I just can't bring myself to believe you'd actually kill me," Link said, dropping his hand. "You said yourself you didn't want to, so…" He trailed off with another shrug. Dark sighed, raising his eyes skyward for a moment. Since when had Link been so frustrating? Maybe he had just become more cynical.

"Well, what are you going to do, then?" He asked, waiting for Link to look at him before continuing. "I'm no longer bound and your horse has fled. Do you honestly believe you can force me to do anything?"

"I've still got my sword," Link pointed out, and Dark laughed somewhat pityingly.

"We both know you're not going to hurt me," Dark said, shaking his head. "Your threats are hollow and you know it." Sudden anger flooded Link's expressive blue eyes, which narrowed sharply. Dark ignored the slight twinge of regret as he saw the hurt buried deep within the blue, so raw it was almost tangible. The Hero stepped towards him and, despite what he had said Dark had to resist the slight urge to step back.

"So then go back to your precious Ganondorf," Link exclaimed, flinging his arms up carelessly as his eyes burned brightly. "Go back to your precious master, let him separate us again – just after I found you again too…!" Link's words fell away into nothingness as he turned his face away, but not before Dark saw the slight watery glitter in the blue eyes. He sighed, unable to fully push aside the sudden heaviness in his chest. It wasn't like he enjoyed hurting Link; it was simply a necessary evil.

"I can't go back until I've killed you," he said, not really trying to reassure Link but powerless to stop the softness that entered his tone. Ganondorf had really miscalculated when he had sent Dark to kill his own brother. It was proving to be quite the challenge – not just physically. "Also, I don't know where you came up with the idea that Ganondorf's my 'master'," Dark continued, bewildered by the conclusion the Hero had come to. "Because he's not. Yes, I do what he asks but I'm not his servant."

"Then what are you?" Link grumbled, turning away completely in order to scrub his eyes dry with a sleeve. Dark smiled slightly before he could stop himself.

"His apprentice?" Dark suggested, now that he thought about it realising he wasn't sure _what_ he was. "Protégé, maybe?" Whatever he was, he definitely wasn't Ganondorf's servant. Of that much he was sure.

"Oh? Gonna rule alongside him, are you?" Link turned back again, voice surprisingly harsh. "Lend him a hand in destroying Hyrule?"

Dark sighed. Upon realising he was going to be forced to travel with Link until he managed to accomplish what had been asked of him Dark had known this was a discussion that was going to come up at some point.

"He's not going to destroy it," Dark sighed, not willing to engage in this particular conversation. It wasn't something they were _ever_ going to see eye to eye on. "He's going to rebuild it." Link made a noise that said he had no words for the apparent disbelief or disgust he felt at that notion, and Dark had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from snapping in response.

"I see," Link said slowly, pursing his lips as he stared at Dark for a long moment. A gust of wind blew past them as they stared at each other, silently reaching the inevitable moral impasse, spreading silver ripples across the surface of the grass around them.

Dark inhaled slowly, suddenly realising how glad he was to be out of the Water Temple. In circumstances he hadn't predicted, to be sure, but after spending nearly two weeks in that damp, stuffy place he would gladly take being dragged out against his will over being left in there. The earthy, outside smells the wind brought with it were so much more pleasant than the musty scent of decay that had filled temple and, though he tried to deny it, they brought back pleasant memories of cheerful faces and a forest awash with sunlight.

A sudden tightness in his chest forced Dark to break eye contact first and he curled his hands into fists. This was no time to be getting sentimental. He had an important task to accomplish – he couldn't let phantoms of the past distract him. He had changed since then, and he most certainly did not remember, nor care for, the warmth of those days.

"You've really changed, huh," Link said after a moment, echoing Dark's thoughts. That he looked so resignedly sad didn't bother Dark. It did _not_. Not at all. "Strange what ten years can do, isn't it?"

Dark did not need or appreciate the judgement he could see in Link's eyes. The disappointment there irked him more than he cared to admit. What right did Link have to suddenly show up after ten years and start judging him? Dark wasn't judging _him_, was he? He understood that they were on opposite sides of this fight; something Link seemed incapable of doing.

"Quite," he agreed after a moment. "I never took you for the type to mindlessly do what they were told. Whatever happened to the rebellious boy I knew all those years ago?"

Okay, so maybe he was judging him a little.

"I could say the same, and I already told you," Link protested, eyes still a little red. "That's not what's going on. I was just using this stupid quest as an excuse to look for you. But I mean, come _on_, have you seen Hyrule? Ganondorf needs to be stopped."

"Well you found me," Dark said, redirecting the conversation before they could go down that path again, itching to retrieve his dagger so that he could just _stab_ Link already. "Now what?"

"D'you have to be so difficult?" Link complained, once again glancing back in the direction his horse had fled in. "Can't you be even a little happy at seeing me again?"

"No, I can't," Dark muttered, following the Hero's gaze. Being happy about it would only make killing the Hero that much harder.

After a moment he picked out a flaxen shape moving towards them across the field at a casual pace. The horse was returning to her master. For a moment Dark marvelled at the display of loyalty before shaking his head. If he was being honest he was not particularly surprised; he couldn't really expect anything less of the _Hero_, of all people.

"Well, keep trying then," Link grumbled, pulling a small blue ocarina Dark hadn't noticed before from his belt. Lifting it to his mouth he took a breath before playing a swift, sweet melody on it. It was surprisingly loud, for such a small instrument, and in the ringing silence that followed Dark heard a faint whinny before the horse had upped its pace, galloping towards them with gay abandon.

Tapping the toe of his boot against the floor Dark pursed his lips, feeling the dagger press against his ankle slightly. Link was suitably distracted, rehearsing some tune softly on his instrument as he waited, his back turned. Was he an idiot? Letting his guard down like that around an enemy… it made Dark despair slightly.

Nevertheless this could be the opportune moment to strike, and the window in which he had to do so was rapidly closing as the horse grew closer. He could see a small blue ball hovering above her head as she approached, which meant that insufferable fairy would be back to screw up his plans in mere minutes.

But his body wouldn't move.

No matter how many times he told himself that he was going to miss the opportunity, or that it was a perfect chance, he just couldn't make himself move. His hands remained folded to his chest, immobile. Was it apathy, or simply his unwillingness to kill his brother, however frustrating he was being? He tried to tell himself it was because he didn't want to stab someone in the back, no matter what Ganondorf had asked of him.

Anyway, wasn't it that same Ganondorf who had taught him to fight more honourably than that? Dark may have been suited for subterfuge but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

"Link!" And then the fairy was upon them, the moment gone, never to be regained. Dark sighed, telling himself not to regret it as he let his body relax from where it had tensed at the anticipation of an attack.

He would just have to wait, and strike when it was least expected.

_**Okay, so, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. I love feedback, so please do review and all that jargon. See you next week!**_


	4. Chapter 3 - Link

_**AN: Well, so far so good on the updating front. Let's see how long this lasts, shall we?  
Okay, so, huge thanks to silverheartlugia2000, WolfenAmphithere and SweetestChick for your reviews, it means a lot - you're the best.  
I don't have much more to say beyond I hope you enjoy this chapter, and even if you don't please do review because it really means a lot and really keeps me motivated - nothing better than knowing people are enjoying your story!  
Now, on with the show, I shall see you next week!  
**_

Three - Link

His brother was insane – that or brainwashed – and wanted to kill him, but there was still something nice about having Dark sat behind him on Epona, not tied up or unconscious. It felt so much better to have him there 'cause he'd chosen to be, even if the only reason for that was so he could kill Link. He'd flat out said as much, once Link had managed to convince Epona to let him near, but Link hadn't enjoyed having to tie his own brother up so he'd decided to take what he could get.

At the very least Dark didn't seem to want to go back to Ganondorf any more than Link wanted him to, which made him stupidly happy. He knew it was only 'cause Dark didn't want to go back and report his failure, but he still couldn't help the swelling feeling in his chest or the grin pulling at his mouth as Epona trotted on.

"Link, are you sure this is a good idea?" Navi, sat on his shoulder, suddenly whispered in his ear, her voice almost as quiet as the chiming of her wings.

"It's fine, Navi," Link said, knowing she meant well but still a little annoyed. She was being so negative. "Don't worry."

"Link…" She sounded like she wanted to say more but stayed quiet, turning on his shoulder to watch Dark. Link smiled, knowing she was glaring full force at his brother.

"You certainly are a protective little thing," Dark sighed, and Link felt him shift slightly. "Say, when you were dragging me around the temple, did you happen to defeat Morpha?"

"Morpha?" Link repeated, confused beneath his surprise that Dark was actually starting a conversation.

"The giant water monster?" Dark prompted, once again sounding like he thought Link was stupid. Link scowled.

"Oh, that thing. Yeah, I defeated it – why, was it your buddy or something?" He didn't know where that sullenness had come from, considering how good he was feeling, but it was quite clear in his voice. Dark snorted softly.

"Not at all, though it certainly _is_ another spanner in the works." Dark heaved a sigh. "I must say, you really do know how to mess up a person's plans."

"Thanks, it's a special talent," Link replied, throwing a taunting grin at his brother over his shoulder. Dark rolled his eyes, humming in agreement, before shifting again.

"Speaking of the temple though, how exactly did you get me out? I find it hard to believe you dragged me all the way out to the shores of Lake Hylia."

"I took a shortcut," Link said slowly after a moment, grimacing at the memory. Ruto had _not_ been happy. Dark made a noise that said he wanted more of an explanation than that. "Through the, uh, Sacred Realm."

Behind him Dark stiffened.

"What?" He sounded shocked. "Are you insane?"

"What? Why?" Link was surprised by the horror in Dark's tone, craning his head round to look at his brother.

"You can't take a _shadow_ into the _Sacred Realm_!"

"Well, I mean, Ruto _was _pretty mad but she got over it…" Link was confused, to say the least. The sudden show of emotion from Dark was surprising, compared to the cold calmness he'd shown every other time he'd spoken so far. Link twisted round further, trying to meet Dark's eyes which were slightly wider than usual. Beneath him Epona gave a warning snort but, for maybe the first time ever, he ignored her.

"That's not the point," Dark said, licking his lips almost anxiously. "Never mind knocking me out – you could have _killed_ me."

"What? _Why_?" This was only becoming more and more confusing for Link. Why, for Farore's sake, wouldn't Dark be able to enter the Sacred Realm? He was a red blooded Hylian, just like Link, so why wouldn't he be able to? Beyond the fact that it was, apparently, reserved only for the Sages, the goddesses' chosen Hero and the occasional maniacal intruder, that is.

Ruto had been _so_ mad at him, if it hadn't been so scary he would've found in hilarious. Angry as she'd been though it hadn't stopped her from, again, announcing her love for him. Just the memory made his ears heat uncomfortably. She was so strange, that Ruto.

And he was still surprised that Sheik hadn't paid any attention to Dark when he'd appeared yet again out of the blue. Then again the ninja, or whatever he was, had seemed pretty distracted. He was probably just as anxious as Link was to defeat Ganondorf, though Link still had no clue why, exactly, the guy was getting so involved. He was so mysterious – why was the state of Hyrule so important to him?

"Goddesses, your stupidity is _still_ putting me in mortal danger," Dark sighed, jolting Link back to the present. "You can't put a shadow like me – a creature of darkness – in a sacred place. Especially not the goddesses' own sacred realm. You're lucky I didn't catch fire or something."

"Are you serious?" Link was horrified. He'd nearly killed his own brother? He didn't really understand, 'cause if there was anywhere anyone could go he would've thought it was the goddesses' Sacred Realm, but apparently not.

"Yes, and _seriously_ considering stabbing you right now," Dark said, his expression exasperated. "I can_not_ believe the goddesses made _you_ their chosen 'Hero'."

"Hey," Link protested, bristling. "But it's not like you actually died, right? Now we've both nearly killed each other – how's about we call it quits?" Dark just sighed, and Link gave up as they sank back into a rigid kind of silence.

Urging Epona to go a little faster Link glanced up at the sky, tightening his grip on the reins. The sun had begun to set, splashing the sky with red and gold, which meant they probably wouldn't reach their destination before night fell.

Taking stock mentally Link guessed he'd have enough supplies for him and Dark to last a little while, but as long as Dark didn't abandon him they'd definitely need more. He probably should've looked around a bit more to see if Dark'd had any supplies before leaving the Water Temple, but there wasn't much point regretting the past. Especially something as fixable as low provisions. There were plenty of other, more important things for him to regret that, even with his new powers of time travel, he _couldn't_ fix.

Shaking himself Link looked forward again, reaching out to stroke Epona's neck briefly as he shut out his miserable thoughts. He couldn't let himself feel the pit in his stomach, the crushing weight this whole stupid quest had dropped on him. If he did he'd never be able to save Hyrule. Or Dark. And it was looking more and more like Dark definitely needed saving.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself Link scanned their darkening surroundings. There was a small fringe of trees up ahead that looked like they'd be safe to camp under, so Link tugged gently on the reins to steer Epona towards them.

"Let's stop here," he said as they approached, slowing to a gentle walk. Navi left his shoulder, flitting ahead to scout for danger, and Link watched her small glowing form closely. He didn't want her getting into any trouble. She changed colour briefly to signal it was safe before darting back to flutter around his head.

"All clear?" He checked, glancing up at her as she drifted across his peripheral vision.

"All clear," she chimed, her weight falling on his head as she settled on his hat.

"Aren't you two just precious?" Dark mocked softly, and Link glanced back at him. Catching his look Dark rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. There was something dark in his expression Link couldn't quite make out, but it made him sad for some reason.

No one spoke again before they reached the trees, where Link jumped lightly to the floor, stretching his arms above his head for a moment.

"If you're going to make me hang around in an open space at night, then will you at least return my sword?" Dark asked, still sat on Epona, eyeing his sword. Link thought about it for a moment, watching Dark reach for it when he got no reply.

"No," Link said finally, quickly batting Dark's hand away before grabbing the sword himself, moving it out of his brother's reach. There were still faint red lines on his fingers where he'd pushed against it earlier in the Water Temple, and quite honestly he couldn't see a reason to let Dark loose with a sharp object when he was clearly still out for blood.

Dark made an indignant noise, glaring at him for a second, before letting out a slow breath and sliding from Epona's back. Once he was safely on the floor he patted her flank gently, something she didn't protest to at all. That was odd – she'd put up such a fuss earlier. Maybe she could see what Navi couldn't.

Shaking his head slightly Link leant Dark's sword against a tree, moving back to Epona as Navi perched on its handle, warding Dark away with her not very threatening presence. He snorted before sitting down at a nearby tree, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Apparently he was going to be as unhelpful as possible.

Then again, Link couldn't really expect much else seeing as he was kind of the one forcing Dark to stay.

He set up camp quickly, by now well practised at it, keeping a wary eye on Dark as he did. He didn't really trust his brother to not make a break for his sword or something, seeing as Navi was hardly gonna be able to fend him off, but Dark didn't move, just watched him work with lazy eyes. Link unsaddled Epona, murmuring to her softly as he brushed her down and tethered her to one of the trees. He wasn't worried about her wandering off but he liked to make sure she was close just in case any monsters _did_ show up. The idea of her being ambushed in the dark wasn't something he liked thinking about.

It wasn't until the sunset was well under way and he started scavenging for wood around the bases of the trees that Dark finally broke his silence.

"Won't starting a fire draw monsters to you?" He asked, stilfing a yawn with the back of his hand as he did. Link shot him an annoyed look before dropping his armful of branches on the ground with the rest of the pile he'd collected.

"Maybe, but it'll also keep 'em away," he said, nudging the twigs with his boot. There hadn't been much rain lately, which meant they'd burn well. "Most monsters don't like fire."

"Yes, I am aware," Dark said, that slight edge that said Link had annoyed him entering his voice again. Frowning Link stared at him for a moment before dropping down onto his haunches, slowly rearranging the various pieces of wood into something that looked almost like a campfire. Once he was finished he located his tinderbox and set it alight, warming his hands against it for a moment. Since spending hours soaked through in the Water Temple he'd felt like all the warmth had been stolen from his body, and at that moment nothing seemed quite as appealing as sitting in front of a fire for a little while.

Shuffling a little closer as the flames spread through the somewhat pathetic pile of twigs Link watched as Dark pulled his knees up to his chest, eyes fixed on the fire. Their red colour reflected it strangely, even though he was sat pretty far away.

"How's your head?" Link asked as he sat back again, reaching for his bag to rummage through. He realised as he did that he was even lower on supplies than he'd thought. When Dark didn't respond Link looked over at him, finding a pair of red eyes staring at him, unimpressed. Dark raised his eyebrows slightly, his silence all the answer Link needed.

"All right, I get it," Link grumbled, digging out some cured meat and bread from his bag, as well as his waterskin. Splitting the food in two he threw half at Dark who caught it easily, almost lazily.

"Thanks," he said, sounding sarcastic though Link wasn't sure.

He wondered what kind of living conditions his brother was used to. Was life as Ganondorf's "protégé" luxurious? The man was a king, after all. He might've been the King of Evil, or whatever Rauru had called him, but he was still a king. Link wondered how he treated his servants. It couldn't be that badly or Dark really _would_ have to be insane to want to go back. Link had seen the heavy darkness that covered the castle, and he just couldn't see the appeal.

They ate in silence, the only sounds the crackling of the growing fire and the occasional soft snort from Epona. From time to time Link heard the faint, drawn-out calls of the monsters that roamed Hyrule Field at night, but they weren't ever close enough to be a threat. At some point Navi left her perch, moving to sit on Link's shoulder where he offered her a few crumbs that she gratefully took as she kept a watchful eye fixed on Dark. He ignored her, slowly gnawing on his bread silently.

He looked so lonely, sat all by himself at the edge of the ring of light the fire cast on the ground.

Watching his brother for another moment Link frowned before, a little reluctantly, rising to his feet. Leaving the warm circle around the fire he moved to sit against the tree next to Dark's, pulling his own knees to his chest and folding his arms across them. Leaning his chin on his arms he let his head loll to the side until he could see Dark, who was still staring straight ahead at the fire.

"Can I help you?" Dark eventually asked, glancing at Link briefly from the corner of his eye.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Link replied, grinning when Dark's expression turned exasperated.

It was hard to believe Dark had been trying to kill him not more than a few hours ago, or that he still planned on trying. All for Ganondorf. It was beyond confusing.

"Seriously, do you want something or are you just going to continue staring at me?" Dark asked, turning to look at Link properly.

"No, I just…" Link trailed off with a sigh. "I don't know." He looked up at the dark sky, shaking his head slightly. The sun had completely vanished, and the moon was nowhere to be seen, which left only the fire and starlight to see by. Dark didn't say anything, just let him sit and brood as a few dark clouds passed overhead.

What exactly was he expecting, dragging Dark along with him? He'd been so caught up in the moment and the elation of finally finding his brother that he hadn't thought ahead – not that that was something he did much anyway – and now he had no idea what he was doing. Was he just hoping Dark would see the light and abandon Ganondorf? At the very least he hoped Dark would stop trying to kill him. That'd be nice, and a big step in the right direction.

He had no idea what he was doing. What was someone in his situation supposed to do, anyway? Was there any good way to go about this, really? He'd just have to see how it went. Improvise like he always did.

* * *

At some point he must've fallen asleep, because next thing he knew Epona was neighing shrilly, loud enough to wake him with a start. Eyes snapping open he stared up into the dark for a second, maybe two, disorientated, before he managed to make out what'd got Epona so riled up.

"Whoa!" Acting on instinct he threw his hands up, catching Dark's wrists before he could drive the dagger into Link's chest.

Wait, why did he have a dagger? Why, for the love of all three goddesses, did he have a dagger?! Link just couldn't catch a break, could he?

The world slowly came into focus as they struggled – the fire'd died down to little more than embers that only just illuminated Dark's silhouette. Link could only see him because the dim light illuminated his eyes and there was a Dark-shaped hole in the starry sky.

"What are you doing?!" Link couldn't believe he was in this situation _again_, with Dark straddling him and trying stupidly hard to kill him.

"What does it look like?" Dark grunted, trying to pull his hands from Link's grip, but Link refused to let go. He couldn't even see where the blade was, but it hadn't stabbed him yet so he figured he was safe for the moment.

Tightening his grip Link blinked sleep from his eyes, feeling his arms shaking. Being woken so abruptly didn't exactly put him on top form and he still couldn't see a _thing_.

"Dark, _stop_," Link pleaded, his shaky arms giving a little. Any second now he was going to feel the dagger sink into his chest. Was he really going to die like this? At the hands of his twin brother? "You don't have to do this – I know you don't want to-"

"Shut up," Dark snapped, voice icy. His red eyes looked like they were glowing in the dark, and they reminded Link of something. What was it?

He _had_ to stop pausing to think when people were trying to kill him.

"Link-" Navi's voice, muffled, suddenly sounded nearby. "Link!" A flare of bright blue light, almost blinding in the dark, lit up the campsite suddenly. Link scrunched up his eyes, as he did watching Dark flinch back, hissing like an angry cat as he did. The sound surprised Link, but he paid it no attention as Dark's grip faltered, enough for him to get the upper hand.

Calling on all his strength Link pushed up from the ground, keeping one hand on Dark's wrist while he balled the other into a fist. Gritting his teeth he said a silent apology before, for the second time, punching Dark in the face. It wasn't as hard as the first time, but it was in the same place and Link could practically _feel_ Dark's pain. He winced as Dark made a sharp noise of pain, rolling off him, hands going to his head. The dagger dropped to the ground with a soft thud and Link scooped it up, flinging it away to the side before sinking back onto his hands, gasping for breath.

That had _not_ been good for his heart.

Pressing a hand to his chest Link took a few gulping breaths, feeling his heart pound away under his ribs like he'd just run a mile. Beside him Dark squirmed on the floor, cradling his head in his hands as he groaned a few times.

"You _idiot_," Link panted, sucking in a breath and holding it for a moment. "Why, for the love of Farore, would you do that?" Navi, who had been floating silently beside him, floated down to sit on his knee. "You all right, Navi?"

"Fine. I'm sorry, Link, I tried to warn you but he stuffed me in your bag. I got stuck and-"

"Hey, it's all right," Link cut her off with a grin. "I'm fine, you're fine, Dark's…" He trailed off, looking at his brother who'd stilled at Navi's voice. "Hey, Dark, you okay?" Link leaned a little closer, squinting at his brother's shadowy silhouette. He almost couldn't see him he blended into the night so well.

"Is he… all right?" Navi asked after a moment, a little grudgingly. Link shrugged slightly, shuffling closer.

"Don't," Dark snapped, voice surprisingly forceful. "Don't bring your stupid fairy any closer."

"Hey, it's not like she's gonna hurt you," Link said reproachfully, which earned him a sharp laugh that made him think he'd said something stupid. "Even if you were mean to her." Dark rolled over slowly, sitting up with a soft groan. Shading his eyes with a hand he stared at Link as if he was waiting for something.

Now that his heart had settled and his life wasn't in danger Link couldn't help but think about how stupid he'd been. He'd placed his trust in his brother even though he'd known that he planned on killing him, and yet he still felt like he'd been betrayed somehow. He should've seen it coming, he shouldn't've ever thought it was going to go differently, but he'd still hoped. He'd hoped that Dark, his _brother_, would feel at least some small amount of happiness at seeing him again, maybe some doubt about whether or not to kill Link. Was that too much to ask?

But no. He'd been stupid. Never seeing him at all would've been better than this, than seeing Dark become his enemy's _precious little puppet_!

Even as he thought it, though, a wave of shame washed over him. How could he possibly ever think that was true? He would've done anything to find Dark again, and he had. He'd found him safe and well, which was more than he could've ever asked for.

And now he needed do anything to free Dark from whatever hold Ganondorf had over him. Link couldn't be swayed by one measly attempt to kill him. He was the Hero of Time, or whatever, and he wouldn't be put off by something as little as that.

The betrayal still hurt, though.

"Link?" Navi floated in front of his eyes, sounding concerned, and he blinked the daze from his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, sorry, just thinking," he said, looking at Dark who stared back silently. He looked almost defiant, his eyes cold. This was going to be tough. Dark didn't seem to want to change his allegiance in any way – the look in his eye said as much. Link stifled a sigh.

Well, it wasn't like it could be harder than saving the whole of Hyrule, right?

"So, what do we do now?" Link asked after a moment, frowning at his brother. Dark shrugged a shoulder lazily, his face unhelpfully blank. "Goddesses, d'you have to be _so_ difficult?"

"It's a special talent," Dark threw Link's own words back at him, a smirk appearing on his face for a second. Rolling his eyes Link reached for his bag, keeping his eyes trained on his brother as he did. Locating the length of rope he carried around in case of emergency he pulled it out, puffing out his cheeks with exasperation as he held it up for Dark to see.

"You might want to tie me up more efficiently this time," was all he said in response, lifting his hands in surrender. Link eyed him suspiciously, frowning slightly, before shaking his head.

"You want me to tie you up properly? Ganondorf's really scrambled your brains, hasn't he?" Link rose to his feet, pointing half-heartedly to the tree Dark had claimed as his leaning post earlier. "Fine, I'll tie you to that tree." Dark glanced round at it before shrugging slightly, accepting his fate. He was being suspiciously obedient, and Link couldn't help the wariness that had him completely on edge. Who knew what other weapons Dark had hidden on him. Link really couldn't take any more chances.

He didn't waste any time feeling bad about it, instead looping the rope around the tree, and Dark, several times, tightly enough to make himself wince. Dark didn't say a thing, just sat in silence, occasionally moving so Link could manoeuvre more easily.

Link just didn't have a clue what to think. One minute Dark was trying to kill him, the next he was being scarily obedient as if he felt bad about it. Maybe it was some kind of weird trick to lull Link into a sense of security, or something, but he really had no clue. He didn't like being so suspicious of his own brother, but Dark hadn't really left him with any other choice. This was just how it was going to have to be until Link could convince him to stop following Ganondorf.

It was as he thought about it, tying a final knot in the rope, that Link realised what Dark had reminded him of when he'd been trying to kill him.

Ganondorf.

Maybe it shouldn't have been as shocking as it was as he crouched there, mulling it over, but it was true. The look in Dark's eyes as he'd driven the dagger down had been just like the one in Ganondorf's the first time Link had met him, after he'd nearly been run over by the man's horse.

It was a look that sometimes popped into his head whenever he was having a crisis about saving Hyrule or actually beating the guy, and it always sent cold shivers down his spine.

It was cold, calculating and evil, and he'd just seen it reflected in his own brother's eyes.


	5. Chapter 4 - Dark

_**AN: Okay, first things first, thanks to silverheartlugia for your review - sorry I didn't reply, I just didn't really know what to say ^^'  
Now, on a more serious note, I'm having a **_**total**_** crisis of confidence about this story right now so I just want to warn you, dear readers, that it may suddenly disappear. Well, that or updates will slow to a crawl soon. It'll probably be the latter, so sorry in advance, I'll try my hardest!  
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter - please do review, it means so much and puts me in a much better frame of mind for writing.  
Now on with chapter 4!**_

Four - Dark

The sun was rising. Dark didn't need to look to know – he could _feel_ it. As dull and grey as it was he could feel the light against his skin, making it crawl unpleasantly. The early hour meant the feeling was bearable, but he knew that when the sun was higher, the day brighter, he would want to claw his own skin off to make the sensation stop.

He had lost all of his gear when Link had knocked him out, but it was the loss of his heavy black cloak that he lamented the most. He could manage without the other weapons, or the food, but it must have been years since he had last braved full sunlight without that cloak. Just the thought made his stomach twist nervously.

Sighing softly Dark directed his eyes to the lightening sky, picking out patterns in the grey as Link slept fitfully a few metres away. Glancing at the Hero Dark watched as he shifted for what was probably the hundredth time, brow creased and a little shiny with perspiration. Was he having a nightmare? Did he ever have a night where he didn't? It had been the same earlier, when Dark had been mustering the courage to take his life. He hadn't stayed still for more than a minute at a time, occasionally murmuring disjointed, panicky sentences.

Rather than kill him, Dark had been overcome with the urge to wake him – to rouse him from whatever terrors he was seeing in his sleep. But he hadn't, of course he hadn't. He couldn't.

Heaving another sigh Dark dropped his gaze into his lap. His fingers were still trembling slightly so he curled them into fists, letting his nails dig into his palms painfully. It was pathetic, really, for him to still be so shaken even though he hadn't actually managed to kill Link. He was trying very hard to forget the surge of relief that had coursed through him when the horse had woken Link up, and instead focus only on the frustration that had hit him at the same time.

It was difficult, though. He didn't know what he wanted more – to not kill Link or to not fail Ganondorf. There was no way to do both, though he supposed he could postpone the decision.

Straightening his fingers slowly he plucked absently at the ropes tied tightly around his chest, briefly attempting to worm his fingers underneath them before settling back against the tree. He hadn't bothered trying to escape, not that he even really wanted to, for fear of being accosted by Link's fairy or trampled by his horse. At least the Hero had put some effort into the restraints this time. They were uncomfortably tight, and Dark could barely move without them digging into his chest painfully.

Leaning his head back against the rough bark of the tree Dark watched a few wispy clouds drift by like smoke, illuminated by the rising sun. Rubbing a hand against his unbruised cheek absently he noticed a looming mass of deep grey on the edge of the horizon. A storm? A gust of cool air blew by so he sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he concentrated on his surroundings.

Yes, undoubtedly a storm. The air was heavy, stuffy even, and the wind was definitely becoming more persistent, dragging a musty, cloying kind of smell with it as it blew by. Inhaling deeply Dark couldn't help a slight smile in anticipation of the coming rain. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about the sun today, after all.

"You're smiling weirdly," a shrill voice said, prompting Dark to open an eye slightly. The fairy was hovering a little way away, apparently wary. "I hope you're not going to try anything again." It was a little amusing to hear the hostility in her high voice; it seemed so out of place in a fairy. Apparently they didn't enjoy being stuffed in bags.

"I'm not, don't worry," Dark assured her, though the silent 'not yet' hung in the air between them. There was a pause before she drifted a little closer, her bright glow prickling his skin uncomfortably. He turned his face away, only to have her flit round until she was directly in his line of sight again.

"You don't like the light," she said. It wasn't a question, more of a realisation.

"What gave it away?" Dark asked flatly, looking forward again so that he wasn't looking straight at her annoyingly bright body. "Maybe the fact that I'm a _shadow_?"

"I'm not the oldest of fairies," she said after a moment, "but I do remember you. You and Link both. It's only vaguely, because I was very young at the time, but you seemed like such a bright, happy child. It's hard to believe you're that same boy." Dark stared at her blankly for a moment, an unpleasant memory rising to the forefront of his mind momentarily before, out of habit, he squashed it down again.

"I'm not. I grew up, I changed," he said eventually, watching her from the corner of his eye. "I… 'realised my destiny', just like Link did."

"And what destiny would that be?" She asked, definite reproach in her voice. "To serve Ganondorf and kill your own brother?"

Dark sighed. "I don't expect you to understand, _fairy_. You _or_ Link. We're all just doing what we have to – let's leave it at that."

He hadn't slept at all, and the weariness was wearing on his nerves. He was _not_ in the mood to get into an argument, especially not one that could go on all day. Did they _have _to keep on interrogating him? It wasn't like he was asking them why they had chosen to side with Princess Zelda, was it? After all, this was how things were always going to be, was it not? It was only natural that they would choose the sides they had chosen.

"There's going to be a storm," the fairy murmured, startling Dark with the sudden change of topic. She had certainly dropped that quickly. "We should find some better shelter." Without another word she drifted over to Link, who had calmed somewhat, hovering above him for a moment before, gently, bouncing against his head. Dark watched with slight amusement, though it passed away as Link's eyes snapped open a moment before he had sat bolt upright, looking around frantically for a second then stilling, his whole body tense.

He blinked rapidly a few times, wide blue eyes landing on Dark after a moment. The Hero was pale as a sheet and his breaths trembled slightly in a way that made them sound borderline hysterical. Dark bit his tongue to forcefully quell the urge to inquire after Link's wellbeing, watching silently as the Hero slowly calmed. How often did he wake up like this, shaking and afraid?

He looked so vulnerable that it was hard to believe he was almost an adult, let alone a Hero. Then again he _had_ lost seven years to a Sage-induced coma, hadn't he? He was probably still a ten year old kid on the inside. A twinge of regret hit Dark for his jibe about it in the Water Temple. Link had looked so hurt when it had been said, and in the end it really hadn't been his fault. Not that Dark resented him for it – he had never wanted the Hero to look for him in the first place.

Forcing the feeling aside Dark shifted in an attempt to get a little more comfortable, but the ropes restricted any real movement.

_Now_ he was regretting his decision to let Link tie him up properly.

"Are you all right, Link?" The fairy broke the sudden silence, and at her words the Hero visibly relaxed as if just hearing her voice had calmed him completely. Taking a deep breath Dark felt that poisonous sensation twisting in his stomach again and tried his hardest to ignore it.

"Yeah," Link sat back, running a hand through his hair. "Why'd you wake me up?"

"There's a storm coming – I didn't want you to sleep through it and get soaked," the fairy replied. What was she, his mother?

Nonetheless Link gave a somewhat half-hearted grin, shaking his head slightly. "I just spent, like, a _day_ completely drenched – I don't think a storm's gonna be much worse."

The fairy seemed to droop slightly. "Should I not have woken you, then?"

"No, that's not what I meant." Link's grin softened. "Thanks, Navi." She dropped down onto his shoulder before they both looked at Dark, who tensed slightly under their combined gazes. "You look even worse than you did yesterday," Link continued after a moment and Dark rolled his eyes.

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out," he sighed. "I hadn't noticed." He had been trying to ignore the persistent ache in his skull, but it seemed to be getting more painful as the hours dragged on without him getting any sleep.

"It's your fault," Link said bluntly, frowning. "If you'd taken that red potion and not tried to kill me again you'd be fine."

"I am aware," Dark said flatly.

"Good," Link shot back, the frown becoming a little heavier before he rose to his feet, stretching his arms above his head as he went. Letting his head loll back against the tree Dark watched as Link set about packing up his makeshift camp, at one point throwing an apple at Dark with a little more force than necessary. It was his own fault so he didn't complain, just nibbled the fruit slowly as Link saddled his horse, fed her another apple, and then crossed back over to stand in front of him.

They regarded one another in silence for a long moment, Dark eating his apple casually, Link with his arms folded defensively, before the latter moved behind the tree to undo the knots he had tied in the night. As the ropes fell away Dark breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad to have the space to actually move again.

Rubbing his chest lightly Dark watched as Link reappeared before him, still holding the ropes as his knuckles turned white from where he was gripping a little too tightly.

"Give me your hands," Link said, haltingly as if he weren't used to ordering people around, as he selected a shorter length of rope. Dark bit into his apple to hide the sour expression rising onto his face, holding the fruit between his teeth as he held out his arms, pressed together at the wrists so that Link could bind them. The Hero did so in frigid silence, expression hard even as his eyes filled with all manner of emotions. Dark watched their steady procession through the blue orbs, fighting to keep the regret from his own expression.

His slight wince as Link worked was not entirely because of how tightly the rope twisted around his skin. The obvious loss of trust stung too, even if it was his own fault and something he had scorned not a day earlier. At least now Link appeared to be taking him more seriously, however much it pained them both. It had been nice, Dark reflected, to be around someone who didn't explicitly mistrust him just because of what he was, however briefly.

But now everything was back to normal and all was right in the world and he definitely didn't care.

Link stepped back, surveying his handiwork briefly, before dropping Dark's hands and standing before him, twisting his fingers together as they stared at one another. Flexing his own fingers Dark removed the apple from between his teeth, tearing a little of its flesh off to chew thoughtfully as Link continued to stare at him with a frown.

"So, what now?" Dark asked as the silence stretched on tautly, glancing up at the rapidly darkening sky. The storm was almost upon them now.

"We're going to the 'House of the Dead'," Link replied shortly, folding his arms. "That's what Sheik said."

"Sheik?" Dark repeated. Another of the Hero's many allies, maybe?

"Just some guy who keeps showing up randomly," Link said, shrugging slightly. "He teaches me songs for the ocarina."

"That sounds… so helpful," Dark murmured sarcastically, clambering to his feet. It was a lot harder than he had anticipated it being now that his hands were incapacitated. Steadying himself he rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve a little of the tension the sleepless night had instilled in him. Glancing between his bound wrists and Link's volatile mare Dark wondered how Link expected him to get back on her, especially if she held any resentment for his attack on her master's life. She hadn't even liked him much to begin with.

Sighing Dark had to admit he may have been a little too hasty in his attempt on Link's life. He had hardly planned and now all of the ramifications that came with not succeeding were backfiring on him spectacularly. Yes, he really should have thought this through a little more.

He had just wanted it over with. The longer he spent around the Hero the less he wanted to kill him, not that he had even wanted to in the first place. If he had just succeeded in the Water Temple…

That _stupid_ fairy!

The whole ludicrous situation was spiralling downwards _quite_ magnificently. Maybe it really would be best to just retreat, for now. Report back to Ganondorf and simply deal with whatever consequences failure brought. It wasn't like it could be worse than being stuck with the mighty 'Hero of Hyrule', now was it? Him, his infuriating fairy, and all his other _unbearable_, falsely altruistic companions. Dark already wanted to punch this 'Sheik' in the face.

Biting into his apple savagely Dark chewed angrily, telling himself not to get so worked up. Losing his head would do nothing but worsen the situation, and he would probably end up doing something he regretted. Glancing down at the skin of his left hand he recalled the time he had, in a fit of rage, punched a mirror and split all his knuckles open. It had hurt for weeks and left him with nothing but a hollow sensation in his chest. _Hardly_ worth it.

He had to remain calm, not get worked up. Keeping a level head was the only thing that would get him out of this conundrum.

Sometimes, though, staying calm was so very, _very_ hard.

"Oi, are you listening to me?" Dark blinked, looking up from his hand as he registered Link's voice.

"No, I'm not. What did you say?" He inquired, raising his eyebrows slightly when Link scowled at him.

"I said, it's time to go, so get over here so I can convince Epona to let you ride her," Link said, sounding very much like he was grinding his teeth. Pursing his lips Dark looked at 'Epona', whose bridle Link had a firm grip on. Was he imagining it when he thought she was glaring at him? He wasn't sure, but she was definitely annoyed. When he edged closer to her her tail flicked agitatedly, nostrils flaring as she gave a low snort that was definitely a warning.

"This is a terrible idea," Dark warned, halting a metre or so away from the mare.

"Are you scared?" Link arched his eyebrows, tone challenging and insulting all in one.

"I'm not particularly fond of the idea of being trampled by your horse," Dark explained flatly, inching forward another step. Epona's ears flicked back, everything about her screaming 'get back'. Halting Dark glanced between horse and rider, having no desire to disregard the former's wishes. He had no issue with disregarding Link's.

With a frown said Hero turned to his steed, apparently stumped as to what to do.

"Why don't I just walk?" Dark suggested after a moment. "That way everyone's happy." For a moment Link simply looked between Dark and Epona before he sighed.

"All right," he said, relinquishing his grip on the bridle. "But at some point you two are gonna have to learn to get along."

"Uhuh." Dark made a noncommittal noise, eyeing Epona for a final time before stretching his bound hands above his head to smooth out some of the kinks the uncomfortable night had left in his spine.

"Let's go, then," Link's voice demanded his attention again. "It's gonna take a lot longer to get to Kakariko now." Dark shrugged, compliant, and they set off, Link leading Epona as Dark walked a few paces ahead, feeling three pairs of eyes burning into his back.

* * *

Thunder was rumbling in the air as they finally reached the flight of shallow steps that led to Kakariko village. Everything was grey, reflecting the overcast sky, and honestly the weather couldn't have been better. The sun was completely hidden, overshadowed by the coming storm's gloom, which meant everything was grey and shadowy. If Dark's hands hadn't been so tightly bound this would have been the perfect opportunity to strike. He was in his element, entirely.

But as it was the decision he had made the night before, which he could see now had been an absolutely terrible one, rendered him unable to do a thing. He couldn't utilise the opportunity unless he got his hands free, something that didn't appear to be at _all_ likely, so he would have to wait.

It didn't stop the frustration from eating away at him, though. Gritting his teeth he tried to force it down, knowing that if he kept this up he was going to explode at some point and definitely do himself more harm than good.

"Do you smell that?" Link suddenly spoke, prompting Dark to glance over his shoulder. The Hero had stopped, a slight frown on his face, his horse shifting restlessly beside him.

"Smell what?" Dark asked, also halting.

"Smoke," Link said, sudden horror dawning on his face. "Oh, for the love of the goddesses…!" Tilting his head Dark inhaled deeply through his nose, realising that Link was right. The acrid smell of burning matter hung about in the heavy air, and while it the pleasant smell of a wood fire it was horribly out of place. Something was burning, something that definitely was _not_ supposed to be.

Turning back in the direction of the village Dark squinted, realising he could just about make out faint trails of black smoke rising lazily into the stormy sky.

"I think the village is on fire," he said after a moment, pursing his lips slightly. He wasn't fond of the residents of Kakariko Village but the thought of them burning still wasn't particularly pleasant. What had happened?

"You're a master of deduction, Dark," Link said sarcastically before he was suddenly running past, his fairy in tow. "Stay with Epona!" He yelled over his shoulder, dashing straight towards the disaster.

For a moment Dark stood quite still before he looked to said horse, who snorted softly at him. Licking his lips slowly Dark tilted his head to stare at the sword still hanging from her saddle. _His_ sword. If Epona didn't trample him as soon as he got near then this would be a perfect chance to free his hands.

Deciding not to waste any time pondering the danger he approached the horse slowly, hands raised in something like surrender. She shifted, baring her teeth, and he pounced. The soft sound of a sword scraping against its sheath was masked by the loud, warning sound Epona let loose, but Dark was out of reach before she could do anything, sword safely in his grip.

Juggling the sword for a moment he managed to manoeuvre it enough to cut the ropes around his wrists, flinging the severed cords to the ground disdainfully as he relished the familiar weight of the weapon held lightly in his hand.

"Don't go anywhere," he said to Epona, meeting her eyes briefly, and she snorted in response, but that could have meant anything. Shaking his head slightly Dark followed Link, darting in the direction he had vanished in.

It took less than a minute for the village to come into sight, and Dark paused for a moment to take in the scene.

Several of the buildings were on fire, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky as sparks flew everywhere, falling like burning drops of rain. Great reaching hands of bright orange and red clawed at the sky, exuding waves of heat made the air dance and shimmer. Even from where he stood Dark could feel the warmth rubbing against his skin, sending cold shivers of dread down his spine. He hated fire. It was so bright and warm; it always chased the shadows away.

Cringing away from the flames Dark sighed, cursing his bad luck. So much for being in his element. This couldn't have been further from his comfort zone.

Scanning the place for Link Dark's ears began picking out faint cries as they rose around him over the roaring crackle of the fire. Were people trapped inside the burning buildings, or simply panicking about the flames?

A high, plaintive wail sounded nearby to his right, obviously a cry of pain, and Dark hesitated for a moment before following the noise. It wasn't like Link was going anywhere, was it? He seemed determined to stick to Dark like glue. Annoying as that was it was certainly useful when you were trying to kill the guy.

After rounding a corner and ascending a short flight of stairs Dark found himself looking into a pen of sorts, in the corner of which lay the remains of what appeared to have been some kind of shelter. Glancing up at the building beside the pen he saw its roof was one of those on fire, pieces of it having broken off to fall into the pen, collapsing whatever the structure in the corner had been.

Vaulting over the low fence surrounding the area Dark approached cautiously, looking up at the blazing roof now and then to make sure it wasn't going to collapse any more.

The soft wailing moans were louder now, nearer.

As he came up alongside the fallen shelter Dark noticed a pale shape half buried under the wreckage, squirming slightly. It was a young woman, her short red hair in complete disarray and her clothes covered in dust. Her upper body was free of the rubble, but her legs were still trapped underneath it.

"Are you all right?" Dark moved closer, knowing it was something of a stupid question as he surveyed the extent of the damage. It would be easy enough to get her out from under the wreck.

"Please- my legs-" She moaned, eyes squeezed shut in apparent pain.

"What happened?" Dark asked as he examined the wreckage, working out what would need to be moved. It was mostly small pieces of debris apart from the wide, heavy-looking plank across lying across her legs, pinning her down. Thankfully the wreckage looked pretty stable, which meant he could move things around without fear of further collapse.

"I don't know," the woman gasped from behind him. "Everything was suddenly on fire and I came out to check on my cuccos but then the shelter collapsed-" she broke off with a whimper of pain as Dark started shifting aside the debris, only half listening to her explanation.

"You keep cuccos?" Dark decided to keep her talking in an attempt to distract her from the apparent pain she was in. "Aren't they really vicious?" He asked because he knew from experience – he _may_ have kicked one once and they _may_ have swarmed him in response.

"Only if you pr- provoke them," she replied as Dark grasped the plank, straining to lift it. "They're really very- very sweet." Dark grunted softly in response, lifting the piece of wood slowly. Once it was high enough he braced it against his shoulder, kneeling down to gently reposition the woman's legs so that they were out of harm's way. She made of noise of pained protest, and for the first time Dark noticed the long gash down one of her shins that was slowly oozing blood.

"Sorry," he muttered, setting the plank down. A few splinters pricked his fingers, making him grimace, but he ignored it, instead moving round to pull the woman away from the wreckage. She went willingly, her whole body limp, eyes still scrunched tightly shut as a few tears leaked down her cheeks. When Dark set her down again she flung an arm over her face, making soft noises of pain.

"Thank you, young man," she managed as Dark set about inspecting her leg. The cut was shallow but long, the edges pulling apart with each movement and glistening dully in the reflected light of the flames high above them. Rolling his shoulders uncomfortably Dark rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, uncomfortably warm.

Goddesses he hated fire.

There was nothing he could do for the woman's injury, having no bandages or supplies with which to treat it. He had nothing save for his sword, clothes and…

"Here, I have some red potion," he said, fishing it out of his pocket. He held it out as the woman struggled upright, hands going to her leg briefly as a grimace of pain contorted her face.

And then she turned to him, wide blue eyes finally opening properly.

"Thank-" the words were halfway out of her mouth, the smile halfway onto her face, and then she froze.

Dark was already cringing back before she could react, recognising the expression that bled into her eyes, spreading out into her expression a moment later.

The woman opened her mouth and screamed.


	6. Chapter 5 - Link

_**AN: Well, I haven't deleted it so that's something! This chapter's also a little longer than the others, so enjoy those extra words. Big thanks to Wildgirl404, silverheartlugia2000, Sorceress of Shadows, WolfenAmphithere, Guest and Sweetest for your reviews.  
Sweetest, I'm just gonna reply to your review here seeing as I can't PM you: I think it's just me - crises of confidence were actually the reason I was so bad at updating my other fics ^^' I am enjoying it though, just sometimes I don't want to share it with the world anymore, so I'm going to stick with this one for now! I'm glad you're enjoying, and I will certainly consider a Dark Zelink fic (no ideas yet!)  
Okay, so, with all that said and done on with the chapter. Enjoy, and please do review ~ keeps me motivated!  
**_

Five – Link

A sudden scream, louder than the fire or the shrieks of the panicking villagers, broke into Sheik's explanation of what, exactly, had happened to Kakariko Village. The ninja – Sheikah, whatever – stopped talking, looking in the direction of the noise. Link followed his gaze, listening as the scream rose to ear shattering heights, before abandoning Sheik to head in its direction.

Someone who was screaming that loudly definitely needed help.

"Link- wait," Sheik called after him but Link ignored him, a moment later finding him running at his side.

Rounding the corner of one of the buildings Link halted, needing a moment to process the scene. It was Dark – the same Dark he'd _told_ to stay with Epona. He was stood in front of a young woman who covered in dust and practically cowering on the ground at his feet. Wasn't she the cucco lady?

"What the…?" Link murmured, shocked. Dark glanced over his shoulder at the new arrivals, expression the most open Link had ever seen it. Link himself couldn't move, too confused to really process what was going on, but while he stood still Sheik darted forward.

"Wait, this isn't-" Dark started to say something but Sheik cut him off.

"Monster, get away!" He exclaimed, aiming a kick at Dark who blocked it with the flat of his sword, staggering back at the impact.

Wait, why did he have a sword?

He must've got it back when Link had left him with Epona. Goddesses, he just _had_ to have some kind of sharp pointy object in his hands didn't he?

"Wait – wait, Sheik!" Link darted forward, meaning to restrain the ninja before he could actually hurt his brother. However, as he got closer he saw the look that had appeared on Dark's face and suddenly wasn't sure who needed restraining more.

"Get back, Link," Sheik warned. "I can handle this."

"So this is Sheik." Dark's voice was a growl, his eyes glowing even when his back was to the nearby flames. Link had to admit he could see why Sheik was acting like he was. His brother almost looked like a monster. "You keep some interesting company, _Hero_." Angry red eyes flashed onto Link, before flickering onto something behind him just as a loud crack rang out through the air.

Glancing behind him Link watched as part of the well Sheik had been stood at went flying through the air, flung by some invisible force.

Hadn't Sheik said something about that being a seal?

"Goddesses save us," Sheik suddenly cursed, having apparently seen it too. "It's free." Both he and Dark had halted, still stood in fighting stances.

"What's free?" Link demanded, turning back to the ninja just as a ripple of cold passed over him. He shivered, eyes going wide as Sheik was suddenly flung into the air, landing face down some way away without a sound. He wasn't dead, right? He couldn't be – he was tougher than that.

"Whoa. What in the goddesses' names…?" Pulling his sword free of its sheath Link looked for the source of the attack, glancing in all directions until he spotted a giant patch of shadow on the cliff behind the village, pulsing in a suspicious, creepy way. Link would've overlooked it except there was nothing there to actually cast it. At least nothing he could see. As he watched it shifted, curving in an arc before darting back towards them. Readying his sword Link looked to Dark.

"Dark, look-" the words died in his mouth at the look on his brother's face, which was so impossibly cold and dark it made all the hairs on his arms stand up.

"Worry more about yourself, _Hero_," he spat as the shadow drew closer. Link opened his mouth to snap back or maybe shout another warning, but too late. The shadow was upon him.

Link watched, horror turning to shock, as nothing happened. Dark's clothes and hair ruffled like it was just a strong wind instead of a colossal shadow passing over him, and then he was doused entirely in gloom. The last thing Link saw before something slammed into him and the world went black was that pair of bright red eyes.

* * *

His head hurt. What had _happened_?

Groaning softly Link blinked his eyes open, screwing them up in pain when bright grey light stabbed into them.

That made his head hurt even more.

Taking a breath he braved the light, cracking one eye open slightly to find Navi and Sheik leaning over him, looking concerned. Good, Sheik _wasn't_ dead then.

They shuffled back as he forced himself upright, putting a hand to his temple as his head pounded. Now he felt seriously bad for punching Dark. He'd even done it twice.

"Looks like you're coming around," Sheik murmured as Link leant back on a hand, looking around. The fires had vanished, burnt out or put out by the villagers, and as he took in his smoky surroundings he felt a few raindrops fall on his face. Squinting up at the bright grey sky he wondered how heavy it was going to get.

"What happened?" He asked, turning back to Sheik who was still knelt beside him.

"A terrible thing," Sheik replied, shaking his head slightly. "The evil shadow that was sealed in that well by the leader of this village has been released. Ganondorf's rise to power must have granted it the strength it needed to escape. It's gone now – both it and that other shadow."

"Other shadow?" Link repeated.

"Yes, the smaller one." Sheik's visible eye narrowed in a frown. "It seemed to know me for some reason…" Link, unable to help himself, gave a soft, apologetic laugh.

"Sorry, that's my fault. I told him about you."

"You-" Sheik looked at him sharply. "You know that creature?"

"Yeah. He's, uh, he's my brother." Link rubbed a hand across his mouth sheepishly. "And he's not a 'creature'; he's just a regular old Hylian like me." Sheik stared at him for a long moment.

"You have a brother?" He sat back, apparently surprised. "But he looks like a shadow."

"You know, I never really asked about it," Link said with a shrug, frowning slightly. "He's always been like that." Dark was just Dark. He'd never felt any need to question it – it wasn't like it'd made him any different. No, Ganondorf had seen to it that his brother had changed.

"A curse, perhaps," Sheik said slowly, tilting his head slightly. "Have you been travelling together all this time?"

"No, I just found him. He was actually with us when you showed up outside the Water Temple, but I guess you didn't notice him." Link paused, glancing at the spot he'd last seen Dark stood in. "Say, d'you have any idea where he went?" He hoped he hadn't gone far – Link had just found him again, and goddesses be damned if he was letting his brother go again so soon.

"Probably back to Ganondorf," Navi suddenly piped up, her tone surprisingly mean. She really hadn't enjoyed being trapped in a bag, had she? Sheik stiffened, looking between Navi and Link for a moment.

"What does that man have to do with this?" He demanded, leaning closer to Link almost threateningly.

"Well, uh, it's a funny story actually. Dark kinda… um, works for him?" Link's words died away as Sheik's expression, what little of it he could see, turned horrified.

"_What_?" The ninja leapt to his feet, pacing back and forth for a moment. "And he knows who I am?"

"Yeah- why, is that a problem?" Link chewed the inside of his cheek sheepishly. Something had got the Sheikah worked up, and he got the feeling it was his fault.

"No, no." Sheik shook his head, tugging at the material that obscured his face. "It is of no importance. We have bigger problems to deal with right now."

"Right," Link agreed, clambering to his feet gingerly. His head pounded for a moment before settling. "What exactly _was_ that shadow?"

"An evil spirit," Sheik replied, turning to look at the village. "I believe it has taken refuge in the temple that lies beneath the graveyard here, and the leader of this village – Impa – has gone to seal it away once more. However, she took no aid and I fear she may be in danger." Sheik turned back to Link abruptly, hands fisted at his sides. "She's one of the seven sages. Link, you _must_ help her."

"Hey, isn't Impa that lady who was with the princess?" Link asked the air, turning to Navi. "Remember, Navi?"

"Yes, that's true," she agreed, moving to perch on his shoulder. "She might know where Princess Zelda is."

"All right, let's go." Link dusted down his clothes, rubbing his throbbing temples lightly with the heels of his palms for a moment. "Dark wants to kill me, so I'm sure he'll be back."

He'd _better _be. If he wasn't Link was going to hunt him down and tie him up all over again. Maybe he'd even get to punch Ganondorf along the way.

"I cannot aid you in your journey through the temple, but I can teach you the melody that will lead you to it," Sheik said in reply, seeming a little apologetic. "Listen to this: the Nocturne of Shadow. May it guide you to the evil shadows beneath."

Pulling his lyre from nothingness just like he always did Sheik proceeded to spend the next ten minutes in the steadily worsening rain teaching Link the new melody. As the first flashes of lightning lit the village Link finally memorised the song, and Sheik bid him a brief farewell before vanishing as per usual, leaving Link alone with Navi to continue on his quest.

For a few minutes he stayed where he was, waiting for his head to stop hurting so much, watching the villagers work and wondering if he should offer a hand. They seemed to have it pretty under control, plus he had a temple to go explore. Despite everything he was enjoying the rain – since being pummelled so embarrassingly by the shadow his skin had been crawling, like there were spiders all over him. It reminded him of the good times he'd spent fighting that one giant spider that had been living in the Deku Tree. He shivered slightly, the spidery feeling growing stronger.

He was just about to get back to his feet, wanting to distract himself from the feeling, when a voice spoke next to him.

"Excuse me, young man?" Looking round Link saw the cucco lady stood a little way away, hands clasped to her stomach as she stared at him. There was a long white bandage wrapped around one of her legs.

"Oh, you're…" Link trailed off, standing up slowly and dusting down his clothes which were kind of damp. "Are you all right? You seemed pretty scared earlier." It bothered him a little that she'd seemed so scared of Dark, 'cause he was sure his brother hadn't done anything to deserve it. Maybe that's why he'd looked so hurt and angry before he'd vanished.

"Yes, I…" The cucco lady gave a small little laugh, seeming embarrassed. "I overreacted. That boy was being so kind, but I was so surprised and…" She broke off again, shaking her head slightly. "You seemed to know him – do you know where he went? I want to apologise."

"No, sorry," Link said, pulling a smile onto his face. "But he'll be back soon." No doubt about it.

"Oh, that's good." She glanced over her shoulder for a moment. "I must tend to my cuccos – thank you, young man."

Without saying anything else she drifted away, apparently meaning to search for her vicious birds which, as ever, weren't in their pen. Link shook his head as he watched her go. He had no idea why anyone would want to keep cuccos, seeing as how when he'd accidentally kicked one he'd been swarmed and nearly pecked to death.

But this wasn't the time to be cursing cuccos – he had a temple to explore. With Navi perched on his shoulder he played the melody Sheik'd just taught him, a flash of light later finding himself stood behind the village graveyard staring into a dark cave. Wasting no time he headed in, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the gloom before pressing on to find himself stood in a room full of unlit torches. Pursing his lips he moved to the centre, hopping up onto the raised platform he found there.

Lighting them all one by one seemed like it would be a pain so instead he decided to use the spell one of the Great Fairies had given him – Din's Fire. Sucking in a breath he concentrated, thinking about the day before when Dark had blasted the Poe. He hadn't expected his brother to be able to cast magic, but then again if he _was_ Ganondorf's "protégé" it wasn't all that shocking. He'd just been a bit surprised when Dark suddenly set a Poe on fire.

Puffing out his cheeks Link told himself to focus, calling up his strength to cast the spell. A burst of fire later all the torches were lit, turning the cave's grey light a friendlier yellow, as the door in the back wall he hadn't really paid any attention to started lifting with a painful grinding sound.

He already didn't like this place, with its creepy entrance, the gloomy corridor behind it and the faint, weird moaning kind of sound he realised could hear as the door continued to crawl open. Still, he ignored the anxious twisting in his belly and headed in, Navi hovering close by his ear. At least he wasn't alone.

The corridor only got gloomier as he jogged down it, rounding a corner to find himself nearly falling into an abyss as the ground suddenly vanished under his feet. He wobbled for a second or two, windmilling his arms frantically.

"Holy Din-" Stepping back smartly he put a hand to his suddenly racing heart, breathing out a loud, sharp breath. _Too close._

"Be careful," Navi exclaimed, sounding as surprised as Link felt.

"Yeah," Link managed, swallowing round the sudden tightness in his throat. "Better watch where I step."

He took a moment to catch his breath before hookshotting across the gap, clambering up the other side only to realise the corridor ended in a dead end.

"_The Shadow will yield only to one with the eye of truth, handed down in Kakariko Village_._"_

A sudden voice, whispery and faint, echoed down the corridor. It seemed to come from the shadows and made Link jump. He looked round for its source, but it was just him and Navi in the hallway.

"Did you hear that, Navi?" Link looked to the fairy, who bobbed round to hover in front of him. "That was _weird_."

"I heard it," she said. "I suppose we can't progress until we find this 'eye of truth'."

"They can never just make things easy, can they?" Link grumbled, glaring at the dead end for a moment before crossing back across the gap and jogging back out into the rainy grey of the outside world. To be honest he didn't mind all that much, 'cause that place was _creepy_ and he was _not_ looking forward to spending hours running around it trying to find some super powerful shadow.

The next half an hour or so was spent asking around the village about this 'eye of truth' while also keeping a lookout for Dark, who still hadn't reappeared by the time Link came across an old man who told him a tale of villager from the past: a man who could 'see the truth' and whose house used to be where the well was.

When Link investigated the well – with a little caution 'cause it _was_ where that shadow had popped out of – he found it blocked by rocks that bombs and not even his Megaton Hammer could budge. He spent a good few minutes wearing himself out trying to get through it before eventually giving up.

Sitting on the edge of the well with his legs dangling over it Link pondered what to do, tipping his head back to watch the rain. At some point it'd settled into a light drizzle that clung to his clothes and hair.

"Do you remember when we first came here, Link? Back when you were still a kid?" Navi suddenly spoke, landing on his knee. He stopped bouncing his heels against the stone, looking at her.

"Yeah," Link replied. It felt like it had only been a few weeks ago at most, not seven years. And yet so much had happened, so much'd been lost. Maybe Dark was right – maybe he _was_ just mindlessly following orders. He probably wouldn't've ever tried to pull the Master Sword free if he'd just been following his gut instead of listening to Princess Zelda. No, he could've spent seven more years looking for his brother. Maybe if he had he'd have been able to get to Dark before Ganondorf wormed his way so far into his brain.

_Goddesses_ Link was going to make him pay for that. For not only kidnapping his brother but even brainwashing him as well.

"What about it?" Shaking his head Link focused on Navi as he felt a surge of anger run through him. He couldn't afford to be distracted right now, and Dark was gonna come back. No doubt about it.

"It wasn't blocked back then, was it?" Navi said, turning to look at the well for a second. "Maybe if we go back we'll be able to go under it?"

"Hm." Link hummed softly, thinking. For some reason he didn't like the thought of going back seven years, though he didn't know why. "Then let's go, I guess." Rising to his feet Link pulled out his ocarina, softly playing the Prelude of Light to transport him and Navi to the Temple of Time. Hopefully Dark wouldn't go back to Kakariko Village before he did.

Once they arrived Link paused for a minute, listening to the temple's silence, before walking slowly to the antechamber, where the pedestal sat in a patch of dusty sunlight. Unsheathing his sword Link stood for another moment. Was he just imagining the faint moans, or were the ReDeads awake for some reason? He didn't stop to think about it, simply returning the sword to the pedestal with a little more force than needed.

There was a flash of light before he was covered in the usual warm sensation that felt safe and weirdly familiar. Well, he was probably passing through the place he'd spent seven years in so it made sense.

When the feeling faded he opened his eyes slowly, having not realised he'd closed them. Looking down at himself he was startled to find he was his proper size again; back in his ten year old body. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he still was. Everything felt right again. He wasn't in a strange body anymore; not as tall or as strong. The world wasn't lower down than it should've been either, 'cause he was the right height once again.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Navi said, and Link felt her land on his head.

"Me either," Link replied, pausing for a moment to blink at the small, high voice that'd left his mouth. He couldn't help a slight giggle – he sounded so stupid. That was one of the few things he hadn't minded about suddenly growing up seven years; his voice getting deeper.

"Why are you laughing?" Navi asked, sounding confused.

"I sound stupid," Link explained, laughing again at his voice. "I got used to my older voice."

"You do sound very different," Navi agreed. "But shouldn't we be going back to Kakariko Village?"

"Right," Link said, trying to force the grin away. "Let's go."

Lifting the ocarina he'd never actually put away Link warped them back to the village, so that a moment later they were stood outside the Shadow Temple all over again.

When Link left the graveyard, jogging out into the village, he had to stop and stare for a minute. Everything looked so different. The sun was bright, nothing looked damaged any more, and the whole place was busy. It was hard to believe it was the same Kakariko Village he'd been watching burn less than an hour ago. He had to pinch himself lightly to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep.

Shaking off his awe Link moved to the well, waving to a few of the people he passed. Everyone seemed so happy, and Link couldn't help the guilt that was suddenly making him feel so heavy. He'd ruined all these people's lives when he'd pulled the Master Sword free, hadn't he?

All the more reason to defeat Ganondorf, as much as he didn't want to.

Ignoring the sudden weight as he reached the well Link hoisted himself over the side to peer into it, sighing at what he saw. Of course. Of course it couldn't be simple.

The well was full of water.

"The goddesses sure love making everything super hard," he muttered, sighing again as he slid back to the ground. Tipping his head back to look at the sky he kicked the well, hard, wincing at the pain that stabbed into his foot seconds later. Well, he should've expected it really.

"Ow," he grumbled, rubbing his foot through his boot. "Well, what am I s'posed to do now?"

"Maybe there's a way to drain the water," Navi suggested. "Try not to hurt yourself, Link." Link grunted in reply, glaring at the well. He couldn't help getting wound up when everything was so complicated and stupid. It was probably Ganondorf's fault – some stupid way of making getting to the sages difficult. Even if it wasn't Link was still gonna blame him for it. That was a good thing about suddenly having an enemy, he supposed. You could blame everything that went wrong on them.

Deciding to move on before he kicked something else and actually broke a toe Link set about finding a way to drain the well. It couldn't be blocked, just like Navi'd said, because unless it was full of rainwater then it had to be being filled somehow.

In the end he found out it was connected to the windmill, so he spent a fun ten minutes winding up the man inside by playing the Song of Storms to make it spin faster and draw the water away. The man eventually chased him out, though Link was laughing as he ran back to the well with the man's shouts following him. He'd forgotten how fun it was just being himself, what with all the trawling temples and saving sages, but now that he was the proper size again it seemed so easy.

"Link, are you all right?" Navi asked, sounding worried, as he clambered up onto the lip of the well, staring down into the darkness as a damp, rotting smell rose up from it.

"Yeah, why?" Link replied, picking his way down onto the first few slippery rungs of the ladder.

"Well, you're just acting… different," Navi said slowly. Link didn't reply for a minute, focused on not slipping and dying.

"I know," he sighed, pausing. Glancing down he looked at the distant ground, feeling the weight that had lifted falling back down on his shoulders. "I just wanted have a bit of fun, y'know? Everything's so happy round here so I just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted."

"Link…" Navi sighed his name, and Link knew what she wanted to say even when she didn't say a thing. He carried on climbing down the ladder, wondering what could possibly be waiting for him at the bottom.

It was, unsurprisingly, the bottom of the well, and it was absolutely terrifying.

It was like the Hyrule Market of the future, only about one hundred times worse. Run down, damp, full of monsters. Everywhere he turned there were undead creatures, rising out of the earth or the shadows to attack him. He couldn't go five steps without something jumping out at him, and the constant distant moans that filled the place did nothing to make him feel any better.

It was an absolute nightmare.

The monsters weren't even the worst part. The whole place was full of invisible walls, holes in the floor that looked like they were solid rock, and so many different corridors that Link spent most of the time running around completely lost, scared out of his mind.

Being smaller again suddenly didn't seem so great. He could've seriously used the extra height or strength of his older self when he was running or fighting, but of course it wasn't that easy. It was never that easy. The goddesses must _seriously_ hate him. Why else would he have to go through all this?

Link knew he was done when he found himself fighting a great, hulking, bloodstained white blob with a gaping mouth and the ability to sprout clawed, bloody hands from the ground. From a distance the thing was bad enough, but when it was gradually wobbling closer as its hand tried to claw his face off, Link couldn't do anything but panic blindly. Everything became a mess of wobbly white flesh, the flash of his sword, and shrieks that he wasn't entirely sure weren't his own as he hacked at the creature wildly.

Once the thing fell twitching to the ground and melted away Link collapsed, ignoring the chest it'd been guarding in favour of curling into a ball and waiting for his heart to stop racing. He sat completely still, hands pressed to his ears, afraid to even breathe, praying to all three goddesses that as long as he couldn't see a thing then nothing could see him.

He wasn't ever gonna sleep again, was he? His stupid brain was already conjuring up pictures of that _thing_ – Dead Hand, Navi'd called it – crawling towards him through the dark as he slept.

"Link, Link please get up," Navi pleaded by his ear, having settled on his head when he'd refused to move. Her voice wormed its way under his hand, gentle as ever. "We're so close – open the chest then we can leave. You can't give up now…!" She nudged him gently, wings chiming softly. Link concentrated on the sound, blocking out all the other eerie noises that filled the bottom of the well, and uncurled slowly. He was shaking all over, the blood still roaring in his ears.

Leaving sounded good.

But would his legs actually work?

He stretched them slowly, carefully, feeling his entire body tremble as he did. Would he even be able to walk? Goddesses, he just wanted to leave.

A little while later found Link dragging himself over the lip of the well, Navi urging him on, with no idea how he'd ended up there. There was a small pinkish lens gripped tightly in one of his hands, though he didn't actually know what it was. All he _did_ know was that he was out, out in the sunshine surrounded by the cheery, busy people of Kakariko Village. The outside world had never felt quite so welcome.

Staggering to his feet Link took a few breaths, rubbing his arms as another wave of goosebumps prickled across his skin. He never, _ever_ wanted to do that again.

Ever.

_Ever_.

The thought of the awaiting Shadow Temple made him want to give up right there and then, but he forced himself to calm down. The Shadow Temple wasn't the only thing waiting for him in the future – Dark was too, however much he wanted to kill him. And he couldn't give that up for anything, especially not his own wishes.

Wasting no more time Link warped to the Temple of Time, where he stood staring at the Master Sword for a long time. He was still trembling, and the shadows had never looked as unwelcoming as they did then.

"Link? What's wrong?" Navi asked as he reached out a hand for the sword before stopping.

"I just…" Chewing his lower lip Link shook his head. Removing the sword from the pedestal meant that Ganondorf would once again enter the Sacred Realm. It meant that Hyrule was going to be destroyed again, and that he was going to lose seven years again. Looking back to the entrance Link realised he had no desire to return to the future. He had no desire to time travel either way ever again. If he stayed here, did nothing, then wouldn't it be all right? He would be able to look for Dark, Ganondorf would never get into the Sacred Realm… none of it would even happen. Right?

But it had already happened. The future was already ruined – he had to go fix it. He couldn't leave it like it was, especially when _he_ was the one who'd made it that way.

He _hated _this. Absolutely _hated it_.

Link reached out and pulled the sword free.


	7. Chapter 6 - Dark

_**AN: Well, I've officially bled my store of chapters dry. I was trying to stay a few chapters ahead just in case I had a period where I didn't write anything and I've failed spectacularly. Ah, well. Hopefully I'll keep updating as regularly as I have been.  
Okay, so, thank you to silverheartlugia2000 and SweetestChick for your reviews. Also, thank you to everyone who's followed/favourited so far - it really does mean a lot.  
So this chapter starts with a flashback (uh, spoilers?) and I'm a little unsure about the format, so let me know what you think and if it's suitable/okay/whatever. Also don't forget to review to tell me what you think of this chapter - even (constructive) criticism is welcome! Now, on with the chapter. Enjoy!  
**_

Six – Dark

_Dark is seven. He's on his way to see the Deku Tree with a frown unbefitting of someone his age on his face. It has been there too often lately, and everyone can tell something's wrong. Dark himself feels it most acutely; these days he's always restless, uncomfortable where he used to be uncomfortable, vaguely threatened where he always used to feel safe. Link can feel it too, almost as badly as Dark, and he's been asking so many questions that Dark can't answer because he just doesn't know what to say._

_So he's headed to the Deku Tree, because if anyone can give him answers to his questions then it's that wise old tree._

_However, as he approaches a voice stops him, because he knows to wait his turn and be patient. That doesn't mean he won't eavesdrop, though. _

"_Whatever is the matter, my children?" It's the Deku Tree. His voice, old and creaky, has always been reassuring to Dark but right now it sounds dangerous, like the cracking of a tree as its roots give out under a strong wind. _

"_We're worried, sir." A voice Dark doesn't recognise speaks and he peers round the corner to see a cluster of fairies hovering before the wise guardian of the forest, wings fluttering agitatedly. If even the fairies are worried, then perhaps it's not just Dark. Relief floods through him. Maybe something has entered the forest and set everything on edge. Maybe Dark just feels it more acutely because he's different. Link has tried to convince him otherwise but Dark doesn't believe him, can't believe him. It's glaringly obvious, after all. _

"_About what?" The Deku Tree creaks, which makes the fairies flutter more violently._

"_It's almost time for Link and Dark to be assigned fairies but… well, some of us are a little worried we'll be paired with Dark." The fairy sounds like she's picking her words with care, as if she's thought about this for a long time. While the fairies stir anxiously Dark freezes, not even breathing. They're worried _because_ of him? The warm relief is instantly replaced with something cold and hard. Pain twists in his chest, even though he doesn't understand. He knows he's different, but is it really so bad that it makes those bright, cheerful orbs worry?_

"_I do not understand," the Deku Tree says slowly. "Why do you feel this way?"_

"_We're- we're not sure ourselves," the fairy replies as Dark presses himself against the nearby wall, not wanting to listen but unable to tear himself away. "It's just that he- he scares us a little. He's a lovely boy, really, but there's something, well, _dark_ about him. Dare I say it, evil even? And just like monsters attract other monsters… what if he brings evil to our forest?"_

_Dark can't bear to listen to any more. Yes, he knows he's different, but evil? A monster? What does that even mean? Is he putting the others in danger? Is he himself the danger? He doesn't understand, but it hurts. It hurts so much he can barely breathe, and he doesn't know what to do. Maybe he heard wrong? No, he knows he didn't. The fairies think he's evil. They think he's a monster. He heard it quite clearly. _

_There are tears in Dark's eyes and on his cheeks as he runs, fleeing to the darkest, deepest part of the forest he can find. He doesn't stay to listen to the Deku Tree as it defends him, not wanting to hear even that great, kind tree call him a monster. He hopes no one finds him, at least for a little while. He just wants to be alone. But he knows he'll be found eventually, and when he is he hopes it will be by his brother. Link always finds him._

_It will be ten years before anyone from the forest sees Dark again._

* * *

The vase hit the wall with a loud crash, the pieces tumbling to the floor where they scattered in all directions. There was a moment's satisfaction before it vanished, swamped by the tight, heavy feeling in his chest. Clenching his hands into painfully tight fists Dark sank to the floor, leaning back against the wall. Dropping his head into his hands he tried to breathe past the anger, past the tension that he could feel in his very veins. He hated this, this feeling of being so out of control. Trying to contain it only made it worse, though. What was he supposed to do at times like these?

He should have known this was going to happen. He should have seen it coming. He should have been _used_ to it by now, but he wasn't. And it hurt. Even after seventeen years it still hurt, enough to make him want to curl up, go to sleep and never wake up again.

Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone? Why had he still not learnt that helping people only ever got him pain, rejection and shame? Why could he still not accept that this was what he was, what he was always going to be? A shadow.

A monster.

Well, now he was back in his rightful place, inside the so called 'King of Evil's' castle. In the first corridor he had found that was empty.

When the spirit had escaped from beneath Kakariko Village he had fled, warping back to the castle because he had _known_ that the blame would inevitably fall on him. After all, who better to accuse that the living, breathing shadow? If only he _had_ had something to do with it. Maybe then he would have got more satisfaction from watching that stupid Sheikah get thrown around.

Pulling at his hair Dark sighed heavily, grinding his teeth in frustration. The tension was making him feel sick as it coiled in his stomach, filling him with the desire to break anything and everything. He was so fed up with everything. He hated it. All the misunderstandings, all the constant judgement.

If only he had killed Link when he had had the chance.

"I thought I heard you breaking the furniture again." A sudden voice made Dark yank his head up in surprise, wincing as he accidentally pulled a few hairs out. Ganondorf was stood a little way down the corridor, leant against the wall with a slight smirk curving his mouth upwards. Scowling in response Dark let his head fall back into his hands, sighing softly.

"Sorry," he muttered, eyeing the remains of the vase through his fingers. It had been the nearest breakable thing when he had warped to the castle and the temptation had been too strong.

"I doubt it was expensive," Ganondorf brushed aside the apology and Dark listened to his footsteps as he approached. "What happened this time?" Sighing again, more heavily this time, Dark ran his hands through his hair agitatedly.

"I scared someone again," he admitted slowly, just the memory making him feel ten times heavier. "And then I got attacked for no reason." Just as he had thought, this 'Sheik' really needed to be punched. In the face, preferably.

"I see," Ganondorf said slowly, his shadow falling over Dark as he halted in front of him. "I know it's hard, but just wait: there's not much time left until our plans are complete and you're free to go where and do whatever you like without judgement or fear."

"Mm." Dark made a noncommittal noise, recognising Ganondorf's attempts to make reassure him but at present unable to see past his current situation. It was hard to believe there would ever come a time where the world the man proposed came to pass.

"And I take it, then, that your mission was not successful?" Ganondorf continued, changing the topic abruptly. Moving on to the more important issue at hand.

"I underestimated Link," Dark sighed. "And you overestimated me." His mood was rapidly getting worse as he found himself having to admit to his failure as well as think about what had happened in Kakariko Village. Why, _why_, could things have not just gone smoothly?

"The task I set you was not an easy one," Ganondorf said, though Dark couldn't tell if he was being agreed with or disagreed with. "What happened?"

"He punched me. Twice," Dark grumbled, scowling more heavily when a deep laugh rang out in front of him.

"He certainly is one interesting kid, that brother of yours," Ganondorf said, sounding thoughtful. "But why did you return?" Hearing some of the humour leave the man's voice Dark cringed slightly.

"There was… a mishap in Kakariko Village. I was going to end up being blamed so I retreated – this is just where I ended up," he explained, glancing up at Ganondorf to find him frowning. Dark winced again, practically _feeling_ the disappointment in the air. It made him feel so much worse than any anger ever could. "I fully intend to return – Link will be waiting for me."

"Oh, is that so?" Ganondorf queried, interest replacing the edge that had entered his words.

"Yes." Dark rose to his feet, rolling his eyes. "He's obsessed with the idea of converting me to his cause. He'll wait for me, undoubtedly."

"I see. That certainly is handy," Ganondorf said slowly, his yellow eyes boring into Dark who squirmed under his gaze. "It could present you with ample opportunities."

Feeling the guilt gnawing at his insides Dark let his shoulders slump. "Ganondorf?" His voice was pathetically small, and he was quite unable to bring himself to meet the hawk-like gaze fixed on him.

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry. I underestimated Link and, well… I swear I won't fail again. One way or another Link will die." He ignored the way his chest tightened at the words, focusing only on his desire to not fail again. Link was practically a stranger to him; they hadn't seen one other in almost ten years. Any or all attachments to him could be cast aside easily. His ties to Ganondorf on the other hand, would not be so easily broken. He knew which he would rather keep intact.

"It's all right, Dark," Ganondorf said, drawing Dark's gaze up from the floor. "Killing your own brother is no easy task. And in the end it's only a minor setback. We still have plenty of time, and right now this 'Hero' is hardly a nuisance."

"Right," Dark mumbled, folding his arms protectively across his chest. He hated the feeling of shame that was running rampant inside him, hated knowing he had let Ganondorf down, however much time he said they had. This was the first time he had made such a grave error in his work and he _hated it_. All the anger in the world couldn't compare to this guilt. And there was no one to blame but himself, for being too weak to carry through with his mission. He could try to blame Link, but in the end he knew whose fault it was.

"Now, collect whatever supplies you need and return to Link's side," Ganondorf commanded, turning to walk away back up the corridor. "And Dark?"

"Yes?" Dark started at the sudden change in Ganondorf's tone, straightening abruptly as his voice turned cold and hard as diamond.

"Do _not_ fail again."

"Right…" Dark managed, only mustering the strength to speak once Ganondorf had completely vanished from sight, ignoring the shivers that shot down his spine at the threat behind the words. He had no intention of angering Ganondorf, or incurring the sorcerer's wrath, but he got the feeling that if he screwed up again he was going to witness it first-hand. And that would _not_ be pleasant.

Shaking himself Dark rubbed his arms to dissuade the goosebumps rising along them, stepping over the jagged remains of the vase as he headed for his chambers. He didn't care about supplies, he just needed a cloak. Anything to shelter him from the sun that he could see beginning to come out beyond the miasma around the castle.

As he went he pulled the small glass jar of red potion from the pocket he had stowed it in, watching the bright contents swirl around as he walked. So maybe the vase hadn't been the _first_ breakable thing he had laid his hands on, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to shatter the little bottle. He very nearly had, but something had stopped him. A warm, half-forgotten feeling that somehow irritated him beyond belief.

Groaning softly at himself Dark quickened his pace. This was bad. If things continued this way then those fragile ties he had to Link weren't going to be so easily cast aside, if at all. He got the feeling they could become as important as the ones he had to Ganondorf were if left alone, and he could _not _have that. Link was a threat. A big one.

He would just have to strike. Immediately. Conscience and honour be damned. There was no way he was going to let Ganondorf down again, even if it meant becoming the monster everyone seemed to think he was in the process. It wasn't like he could hate himself any more than he already did.

One way or another, Link _was_ going to die.

* * *

When Dark, clad in a new, heavy black cloak, reluctantly warped himself back to Kakariko Village he found himself stood behind the graveyard, staring at Link's back. The Hero was sat precariously on the fence that separated the Shadow Temple from the yard, playing soft tunes on his ocarina. That infuriating fairy was nowhere to be seen, for which Dark was immensely grateful.

He stared for a long moment, half expecting Link to notice him, before taking a breath and moving forward silently. The drop wasn't that high, but if Link fell awkwardly enough then maybe… It was a long shot but he could still give it a try.

Better than just stabbing him in the back. Literally.

Not giving himself any time to deliberate Dark lifted his hands, placed them against the Hero's back and pushed. Hard. Apparently he hadn't learnt his lesson the night before in regards to acting rashly. Ah well.

Link went easily, caught completely by surprise, falling with a loud, startled noise. There was a heavy thud followed by the high chirruping of a fairy, and Dark leaned over the fence to see how spectacularly this newest plan had failed. He hadn't expected it to work, but he still felt a twinge of disappointment mixed with relief when he saw Link flat on his back on the floor, blinking up at the sky. He appeared to have narrowly missed colliding with the large monument that stood at the back of the graveyard.

"What was that?!" Link yelled when he caught sight of Dark, who leaned his elbows on the fence as he stared back with slight amusement. "When did you get here?"

"A minute ago," Dark replied, resting his chin on a hand. "You look pathetic."

"Whose fault is that?" Link grouched, frowning slightly. "Did you warp like me? I didn't notice you at all."

"Something like that," Dark said slowly, not having any desire to explain to Link that he could transport himself via shadows. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, and while it was certainly handy it only served to reinforce the fact that he was different. After all, what normal Hylian could merge with shadows and travel around in them?

"So why'd you push me?" Link asked, sitting up slowly as his fairy danced around his head. "Also, where've you been? And what's up with the cloak?"

"For fun, at the castle, and it's to keep off the sun," Dark replied sagely, watching Link struggle with that for a moment. "You don't half ask a lot of questions, do you?" Link pulled a face at him, not replying.

"Wait, why were you at the castle?" He eventually asked, standing and brushing his clothes down as he craned his head back to look at Dark.

"I wonder," Dark said, unable to stop himself from winding the Hero up. Irritating Link made him feel a little better, in a twisted kind of way. A way to vent his frustration by handing it off to someone else instead of actually hurting that someone.

"Oh, reporting to your master were you?" Link's frown became a scowl as Dark rolled his eyes, leaning a little more heavily on the fence. "Planning ways you can brutally murder me?"

"Think what you like," Dark said as he waved a hand lazily. "I just went to get another cloak, seeing as _someone_ left my other one behind in the Water Temple."

"Is that seriously what's important right now? You were just off hanging out with the guy who's trying to destroy Hyrule and the _cloak's_ what you're worried about?" Link demanded, deepening his scowl and waving his arms angrily for emphasis.

"Unlike you, avoiding the sun is a bigger priority for me than avoiding Ganondorf is," Dark replied coolly, finding himself becoming increasingly frustrated with Link's deliberate misunderstandings. Maybe if he just explained the situation then Link would stop being so irritating. The problem was he didn't want to.

"I don't get you at all," Link grumbled, his expression softening slightly in his confusion.

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual," Dark answered swiftly, earning himself a dirty look before Link had warped himself onto the platform in front of the temple. Turning to face him Dark leaned back against the fence, thinking.

Temples were dangerous places, full of monsters, traps and all manner of surprises. If he couldn't find a good opportunity to end the Hero's life inside the _Shadow Temple_ of all places then he would simply have to resort to the underhanded methods he, at present, just couldn't bring himself to utilise. He would steel himself inside the temple, and if Link still wasn't dead by the time they left he would be ready.

He would have to be.

"Are you gonna follow me into the temple?" Link asked, breaking Dark out of his reverie.

"But of course," Dark replied, folding his arms. "You sound worried. And here I thought you _wanted_ me to stay with you."

"Shut up," the Hero grumbled, jamming his hands into his pockets. "I just want you away from Ganondorf and not trying to kill me."

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to pick one or the other, because it's highly unlikely both will happen," Dark said, smirking slightly at the frustration on Link's face. If he could just shut out his emotions, sever those ties he had to the Hero, then he would be fine.

It was hard, though, when he had seven years of warm memories preventing him from doing so. Of all the memories he had of his time in the forest with the Kokiri the brightest were undoubtedly the ones that featured Link. The ones of a bright, cheerful young boy who was always there, who always cared. The ones of the only person who had truly never cared what Dark was, what he was undoubtedly destined to be. There might have been resentment mixed in there, along with the occasional thought of hatred, but never enough to mar the brightness that was, in his eyes, Link. He was as light as Dark was, well, _dark_.

"Goddesses, you're infuriating," Dark muttered quietly, more to himself than anything else.

"Where'd that come from?" Link demanded, expression once more crumpling into a frown. "You're just as annoying."

Dark rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking to you, so don't pay me any mind," he said, shaking his head. "Don't you have a spirit to vanquish?"

"Right, right. 'Hurry along so and get yourself killed', right?" Link said, turning to face the gaping hole in the wall behind him.

"Well, that would certainly help me," Dark said, watching the slight tension rise into Link's shoulders and telling himself that he didn't feel a thing. Letting himself relax he blocked all thoughts of emotion from his mind, simply moving to stand beside the Hero as he tucked his hands inside his sleeves.

"I know you're trying to kill me and all, but if you're really gonna follow me in here then be careful, 'kay?" Link's voice was childishly grumpy, but Dark could tell he was sincere. "Temples are dangerous."

"You don't need to look out for me – I can handle myself perfectly well," Dark replied, pulling his hands a little further into his sleeves.

"Yeah, I know. Just don't let yourself get distracted when you're trying to kill me. I'd hate to get you back only to have you die on me."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence, but I'm quite capable of focusing on two things at once. And you didn't 'get me back' – you don't own me. I'm not an item you can just _acquire_," Dark said, frowning slightly. Who did Link think he was?

"You're my brother – that's kinda the same thing, right?" Link said, and Dark thought he heard the fairy sigh slightly as he groaned softly in response. The goddesses had seriously misjudged when they had made this _idiot_ their champion. "I wonder what your master would think about that, though?"

"For the last time, Ganondorf is _not_ my master," Dark snapped, turning to glare at the Hero. "And I'm no more an item for him to use than I am for you."

"Huh." Link made a long, drawn out humming sound which sounded distinctly sceptical and Dark sucked in a deep breath, wiping away the scowl rising to his face as he struggled to maintain his emotionless state.

"I'm going to stab you Link, I swear," he said flatly, feeling rather than seeing the tension that filled the Hero in response. "If you keep that up I won't hold back."

"Hey, I was just saying," Link protested, lifting his hands in a shrug. "You got pretty defensive, huh?" Dark lifted a hand to the handle of his sword, still staring blankly at the hole in the wall before him. Link waved his hands, lifting them a little higher. "Whoa, calm down. I don't want to punch you again, and you don't want to stab me-"

"That's highly debatable," Dark interrupted, gripping the handle a little tighter.

"-Much," Link resumed hastily. "So let's just go into the temple and try not to die." Sighing softly Dark relinquished his grip on the sword. He was suddenly finding it surprisingly easy to wrap his head around the idea of killing Link, though there _was_ still a small part of him vehemently refusing to even consider it.

"Let's go then," he prompted when Link didn't move. When he got no reply he looked to the Hero, who was staring intently at the dark hole in the wall with a frown on his face. He suddenly looked a little pale.

The concerned words were on the tip of Dark's tongue before he swallowed them down, reminding himself that he didn't care.

"Right," Link said after a moment, visibly steeling himself. Apparently he wasn't looking forward to the Shadow Temple in the slightest, though Dark couldn't see what was all that bad about it. He was quietly impressed, then, when Link turned to him with what seemed to be a genuine grin plastered across his face.

"Let's go," he said, not waiting for an answer as he headed through the entrance. Dark sighed softly and followed.


	8. Chapter 7 - Link

_**AN: Here we are again, then! Big thanks to silverheartlugia2000, Wildgirl404, pokemonfan67 and The nintendo guy for your reviews - as ever they mean a lot and really help keep me motivated! Also, thanks to those of you who favourited and/or followed, I hope you're enjoying my story so far! So, don't forget to review because they're the best thing ever.  
Also, briefly and if you're at all interested in replying, what do you, dear readers, think of real-world swearwords in stories like this? I've always felt like they didn't really fit, like they would have different swearwords like 'Farore's knickers' or something... anyone feel like telling me their thoughts?  
If not then that's fine and I hope you enjoy chapter seven!**_

Seven – Link

_It's the middle of the night and Link can't sleep. He is six years old, and staring up through the shadows that fill the house he shares with his brother. He can't see anything beyond vague shapes that seem to shift around when he looks at them, and they scare him. He has been having a lot of bad dreams lately, and he's scared to close his eyes. Gripping his blanket tightly Link continues to gaze up into the heavy gloom, listening to his heart thud in his ears as his imagination conjures up all sorts of shadow monsters that hover in the air above him. _

'_Dark?' He finally finds the strength to call out to his brother, or maybe he finally admits that he's actually afraid. _

'_Mm?' There comes a sleepy reply from the direction of Dark's bed. 'What's wrong?' His voice is a little slurred due to his being roused from a half-dose, but Link hears it nonetheless. It's comforting to just know Dark's there, however far away 'there' seems._

'_I'm scared,' Link mumbles, pulling his sheets up over his face until only his eyes remain uncovered. _

'_Of what?' Dark manages through a long yawn. Link hears him move, sheets rustling. _

'_The dark,' Link admits, feeling his cheeks heat up as he does. He hates seeming weak or afraid, especially in front of his brother._

'_Why?' Dark moves again, and suddenly feet are padding across the floor towards Link. For a moment he goes rigid, thinking something has actually entered their home, until his brother's bright red eyes appear above him, little beacons of light in the darkness. _

'_I can't see anything,' Link says, staring up at Dark and hoping his fear isn't clear in his expression._

'_So?' Dark replies, eyes moving closer before he's suddenly crawling under the covers next to Link with another yawn. Link shuffles aside to let him, and they lie back to back, snuggled close. 'I can still see – I'll look after you. Don't be afraid of the dark. I'll protect you from the shadow monsters.' _

'_Really?' Link asks, already feeling calmer from just having Dark there next to him._

'_Yeah, stupid. Always.' Dark nudges him with an elbow, his voice fading away as he drifts off to sleep, but Link doesn't mind the silence anymore._

_Curling his knees up to his chest Link smiles, suddenly not afraid at all. He doesn't need to be scared of anything when Dark's by his side. Closing his eyes Link pulls the sheets over his head, his brother's slow breaths quickly lulling him to sleep._

They had been doing so well. Link had been making good progress through the temple and had even got some nifty new boots that let him hover in the air, and were a complete and utter pain to put on. Dark hadn't tried to kill him at all.

But now everything was ruined.

'Dark, seriously, give it back.' Link was stood in the entrance of a large, apparently empty room, watching his brother spin in lazy circles as he sat on top of some invisible structure in the middle of the room. Link didn't have a clue as to what it was Dark was sat on, and he'd lost the only thing that would've made it visible. Well, not _lost_ exactly.

'But it's fascinating,' Dark said, peering through the little pink lens as he spun to face Link again. 'You say it can make invisible things visible?'

'Yeah, now _give it back_,' Link demanded, scowling at his brother. There was no way he was setting foot in the room until he could see exactly what it was Dark was sat on, especially when everything about the room was screaming '_danger!'_ He couldn't see anything but he could hear soft, grating noises like stone on stone, and slight ringing sounds that made him think of sharp blades.

No, he wasn't going anywhere until Dark returned the lens he'd stolen.

Still, Link had no idea how Dark'd even got his hands on it, because he'd been using it pretty constantly the whole time they'd been inside the temple. It couldn't've been that long ago, but he hadn't noticed it being stolen at all.

'Where are your manners?' Dark asked, holding the lens up to what little light there was inside the room.

'Where're yours?' Link snapped. 'You can't just go around stealing people's stuff.'

'You should have been paying more attention,' Dark replied, the lens vanishing from sight as he closed his fingers round it. 'Why don't you come and get it?' A faint, challenging smirk appeared on his mouth as he held out the lens again, letting it dangle between his thumb and forefinger.

'I'm not _that_ stupid,' Link growled, scowling fiercely up into his brother's expressionless face. The whole time they'd been in the temple Dark had been acting weird, like he'd shut out his emotions or something, and it'd been putting Link seriously on edge. He couldn't tell what Dark was thinking – even less so than usual, anyway – which made him uncomfortable seeing as the guy was _still_ trying to kill him.

In fact the whole temple made him uncomfortable. The place was horrible, full of low moans and what sounded like distant screams, as well as all the trick walls and floors with their creepy carved faces. Link absolutely hated it, though he had to admit it wasn't as bad as the bottom of the well. It was close, for sure, but not _quite_ as bad. The worst part was that he felt like he was being watched, and that made his skin crawl.

But at least he had company this time, however bad it was.

'Well, it was worth a shot,' Dark sighed, leaning back a little more heavily on whatever he was sat on. 'Never mind.'

His emotionless tone bothered Link. A lot. How could he just shut off his emotions like that? Wouldn't it be easier to just admit to whatever it was he was feeling? It made Link angry 'cause he was sure it was some trick Dark had learnt from Ganondorf, and also sad because whatever it was then it had to be painful enough for Dark to want to block it out. There was a little flicker of hope somewhere too, because it probably meant that Dark _really_ didn't want to kill him.

Not that that had stopped him before. How many times was it now? Three? Four?

'You don't even need it,' Link complained, squinting out across the room. There was nothing to see, not even a shadow to tell him what he wanted to know. 'Isn't that what you said?'

'Yes, it is,' Dark agreed, watching Link through the lens. 'You can't use the shadows to hide things from a shadow.'

'So give it back!' Link exploded, curling his hands into frustrated fists. Goddesses, how irritating could his brother be? It was like Dark was trying to see just how far he could push him before he snapped.

But maybe that was the point – maybe he was trying to annoy Link so much he made a blind dash across the room, only to get cut in half or something else equally horrible.

Realising Dark's plan calmed him a little, so he folded his arms tightly across his chest, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to calm down completely. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with this. He was tired, he'd already been through enough today, and he really _really_ didn't want to put up with Dark and all his stupid taunting. No matter how emotionless it was.

'Well, you're obviously not going to come and get it so I might as well,' Dark sighed, sitting up a little straighter. 'It wouldn't kill you to say please, though.'

'It wouldn't kill _you_ to not steal my stuff, either,' Link argued, pulling his arms even more tightly to his body. Dark just shrugged a shoulder, throwing the lens at him abruptly. Link scrambled to catch it, his stomach dropping as for a split-second he thought he was going to drop and break it. Gripping it tightly he let out a long breath, half-glaring at Dark who just raised his eyebrows a little.

Clicking his tongue angrily Link lifted the lens, squinting through it at the room. He was instantly glad he hadn't tried his usual approach of 'charge forward and never mind the consequences' as he followed the movements of the two giant scythes with his eyes. Dark was sat between the heads of the statues holding the blades, and Link suddenly wondered if he was dizzy yet – he'd been sat spinning in circles for a little while now after all.

'That could have been dangerous,' Navi said from where she was hovering next to Link's face, looking through the lens just like him. 'It's lucky you didn't let him provoke you.' They both glanced to Dark who shrugged lazily.

'Yeah,' Link agreed after a moment, deciding not to tell her that he very nearly had and there was a high chance that if Dark tried again then he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. The irritation wasn't going away at all and it was making him restless. Probably reckless too. He was itching for a fight and despite everything he'd said he suddenly _really_ wanted to punch Dark.

Maybe _then_ his brother would show some emotion.

Shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face Link sighed, trying to convince himself that getting worked up wouldn't help at all. He just needed to focus on getting through the temple, not dying or being killed, and beating up the giant shadow that'd holed itself up in the basement. He could try to think up a plan about how to deal with his brainwashed brother as he went, though he probably wouldn't get the chance if he had to keep an eye on Dark _all the time_. Couldn't he just give it a rest and let the temple give Link its worst? It would probably get the job done a lot quicker, what with all its stupid invisible floors and undead critters.

Goddesses, how did Dark do it? How did he just shut out all his emotions and keep his face so infuriatingly blank? Link just couldn't do it. When he tried something else sprang into his mind – anger turned to worry, worry turned to fear. There was too much to think about, too much going on for him to concentrate on blocking out the noise in his head. How, for the love of Farore, did Dark do it? How could he just not care? It seemed absolutely impossible to Link.

'Whenever you're ready.' Link started as Dark's empty voice reached his ears. Blinking he shook himself, realising he'd spaced out again even though he should've known better seeing as he was hanging out with someone who wanted to _kill him_. Dark didn't seem to want to strike when he was distracted, though, so there was that. Not that it made anything better.

Sighing harshly Link edged his way around the room, keeping an eye on the pair of giant scythes at all times as Dark continued to spin on top of them. Link prayed to all three goddesses that he was getting super dizzy.  
When he hopped down to stand beside Link, however, he barely even swayed. To be honest Link wasn't all that disappointed, or even that surprised, 'cause the goddesses seemed determined to screw him over in any way possible so he hadn't expected his half-hearted prayers to be answered.

'Where to next?' Dark asked lamely, his hands tucked up inside his sleeves, once Link was out of reach of the blades and across the room. He had deigned to push his hood down when they'd entered the temple, but hadn't made any move to remove the heavy black cloak. He couldn't've looked any more like an evil villain if he'd tried.

In sullen silence Link pointed to the room's only other door, seeing the ghost of a satisfied smirk pass over his brother's face as he did. Scowling Link, like the impulsive child he was at heart, slammed his foot down on Dark's nearest one, grinding his heel in before his brother could pull away. Dark hissed in pain and when Link saw a flash of silver he instinctively raised his sword, feeling the force of the blow before he actually saw it. The air rang with the sound of steel on steel as Link winced slightly, staring at Dark over their crossed blades in shock. Okay, he seriously hadn't expected that kind of reaction.

'Don't you dare,' Navi commanded, rising up to float by Link's face as Dark applied a little more force to his blade, face looking like it could've been cut from stone. How could he still look so impassive even now? Link thought he'd at least _annoyed_ him, but his face was still completely expressionless.

For a long moment they stared at each other, Dark's eyes flicking between Link and Navi before they rolled and he stepped back, sheathing his sword in one smooth movement. Link followed suit, warily, wondering if behind his blank mask Dark was actually feeling something. The way he'd reacted said he was angry, but Link just couldn't tell.

Wracking his brains he tried to remember if Dark'd ever had a temper when they were younger, but all that came to mind was a quiet little boy with a big, if kinda rare, grin and a gentleness Link'd always been envious of. He'd always been running around breaking stuff, always accidentally getting people into trouble or hurt, while Dark had always been careful and thoughtful. He might've always been right behind Link but he was always the one thinking ahead, or fixing the messes his stupid brother created.

Suddenly sad Link turned away from his stupidly impassive brother, feeling the tell-tale burn of tears starting in his nose. He missed those days so much. Before things had become complicated. Before Dark had been stolen away and turned into some emotionless puppet by the King of Evil. They'd been happy and safe, and now they were running around underneath a graveyard trying to kill each other.

And he was so _tired_.

'Link?' Blinking rapidly to make the world stop swimming Link looked up, finding Navi floating in front of him, wings drooping slightly. 'Are you all right?' She sounded like she knew exactly what was going through his head at that moment, so he smiled for her even though he knew it didn't look real.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' he said, turning back as Navi dropped to perch on his shoulder. Dark regarded him in silence, face punchably impassive, though Link liked to think he saw something like remorse somewhere in the stony red eyes. He was just imagining things, he knew that, but it was nice to think his brother felt bad for upsetting him.

'Let's go,' Link said after a moment, not wanting to dwell on it anymore. 'The sooner we get outta here the better.' Dark didn't put up a fight, just followed him in ominous silence.

* * *

It turned out the room with the invisible scythes was a dead end, so Link had to backtrack – something he was none too pleased about. At the very least Dark didn't try anything else, just trailed after him in emotionless silence. Link was tempted to stomp on his foot again, see if it got him a better reaction, but he would probably get stabbed so tried to restrain himself.

In the end it took a whole army of undead monsters, a borderline terrifying boat trip and a blown up pillar before Link found himself staring down into a deep, pitch black hole in the ground that he had no doubt led to the giant shadow's lair. Link couldn't see a thing beyond the lip of the hole, just thick gloom that he really didn't want to go anywhere near.

Rocking back onto his heels with a sigh Link continued to stare down into the inky darkness, wondering if he should be worried that Dark was gonna push him into it. He wouldn't put it past him.

Shaking his head Link let out a long breath, deciding he would rather jump than be shoved.

'See you at the bottom,' he said, glancing up at Dark who folded his arms lazily.

'Who said anything about me going down there?' He asked, raising his eyebrows in a way that made Link scowl.

'And here I thought you and that shadow monster were buddies," Link griped bitterly, straightening as his legs began to cramp gently. For a split second something cold passed over Dark's face before he shrugged a shoulder, brushing aside the insult. Link deepened his scowl, rolling his shoulders and fixing his gaze on the hole again. Not wanting to listen to any more of Dark's emotionless words he stepped right up to the edge, took a deep breath and jumped.

As soon as he did he realised he hadn't stopped to think about how deep the hole went, and he managed to flail his arms for maybe a second before a pale floor he could barely see was rushing up to meet him.

'Oh for Farore's-' He didn't manage to finish the curse as his feet and the floor collided. The ground was surprisingly spongy, and a moment later Link found himself bouncing back up into the air, flailing wildly as he tried to keep his balance. The second time he hit the floor he just wobbled, feeling it give beneath his feet as he nearly pitched over.

It shuddered more violently as Dark suddenly appeared beside him, landing lightly as the sudden movement sent Link lurching. So much for not coming down. Staggering Link tried to find his balance, just barely managing not to fall. There was a soft snort from his brother's direction and he felt his cheeks heat as he straightened, rearranging his tunic with a few sharp, annoyed tugs. Dusting down his clothes he kept his gaze trained resolutely away from Dark, instead looking around at the room he'd just jumped down into.

It was big, gloomy and filled with a weird bluish-green light. The smell of mould and death that hung in the air made Link crinkle his nose in disgust. The floor dropped away abruptly on all sides, probably leading to something Link really _didn't_ want to fall into, and it looked completely empty.

Or at least, it _did,_ until two giant hands slammed down on the floor on either side of him, launching him about a metre into the air.

'Holy Farore-' Link couldn't help a startled exclamation as he hit the floor again, wobbling all over the place as he stared at the hands. They were _huge_, and they _would not _stop drumming against the floor – every time they did they forced Link off balance, sometimes even propelling him into the air.

Pulling out his new, nifty shoes Link scrambled to put them on as, above the hands, a colossal shape materialised from the gloom. It fixed its huge, glowing eye on Link as he hopped about trying to pull the boots on without falling on his face, and then suddenly it was disappearing again, a moment later leaving nothing but the hands to show it was there.

'Oh, for the goddesses' sakes…' Link hissed, hopping a bit more frantically. The hands started to move, shifting restlessly and all the while thudding against the floor in the most irritating way possible. When one balled up into a fist Link knew he was in trouble, instinctively flinging himself to the floor and rolling when it rushed towards him. He heard it blow past, felt the force as it shot by only inches away. The breeze that followed it ruffled his hair and clothes before he was up on his feet again. Spinning he located both hands, trying to come up with a plan.

His best bet was probably his bow, seeing as he didn't want to get anywhere near those hands, but then it could go invisible so he'd need the lens of truth to see it, and he still only had one boot on which meant getting the other one on was his first priority unless he wanted to be bouncing around the entire time and-

'Stop spacing out you _moron_!' Link started when someone suddenly yelled at him, finding himself being shoved to the ground. For a moment he thought it'd been Navi who'd shouted, until he rolled over just in time to see Dark getting swept up into the clutches of one of the hands, stood exactly where Link'd been seconds earlier.

'Dark!' Link moved forward, but he was too late – Dark was being dragged up into the air, completely hidden between the shadow's fat fingers. '_Dark!_' As Link reached for his bow he saw the hand contract, one, twice, three times. As he nocked an arrow to the string there was a series of horrific _crack_s that made him flinch back, and a soft exclamation of pain sounded from between the fingers.

'Son of a _bitch_,' Link growled, aiming the bow. 'Put him _down_!' Loosing the arrow Link watched it sail towards the hand, lodge securely in its thumb. The hand stiffened then went limp, releasing Dark so he fell to the ground where he immediately collapsed with another soft noise of pain.

'Dark!' Link made to dash to his brother's side, but halfway there he was cut off as the shadow's second hand slammed down in the ground between them. Skidding to a halt Link grabbed another arrow, jabbing it into the nearest finger without pausing to think. As he pulled it back there was a soft, eerie growl of pain that sent shivers down his spine, but he was too busy vaulting over the now still hand to think dwell on it.

'Wait-' Dark suddenly spoke and Link slowed. 'Stay there-'

'What? Why?' Link yelled, stopping despite his protests. Even from where he stood Link caught the flash of teeth as Dark grinned a dangerous grin, before something slammed into his side with enough force to send him flying. A trap. Dark had led him into a trap.

The world flashed by for a second before he was suddenly falling, watching the floor fall away into some weird green goo that looked distinctly deadly. Reaching for something, anything, Link found his hand latching onto the edge of the platform moments before his body slammed into it. Wincing Link gasped for air for a moment, a little winded, before hooking his other arm over the side. He hadn't let go of his bow, which was lucky. He had no idea what the goo was, but it was probably better he didn't drop anything into it. Especially not himself.

'What-' Link dragged his toes against the side, trying to find something to push himself up with. 'Is your-' Heaving himself up he got a knee over the edge. 'Goddessdamned-' He rose to his feet. '_Problem_?!'

Storming over to Dark's side Link glared down at him, panting softly and angry beyond belief. The rage surprised him a little, but he just couldn't help it. All concern for Dark's welfare had just been chucked out the window.

'You might-' Dark grimaced slightly before fixing Link with a baleful look. '-want to focus on the- bigger issue.'

'You're my biggest issue!' Link yelled, resisting the urge to kick his brother. 'For the _goddesses'_ _sakes_-' He saw Dark's eyes flicker onto something behind him and ducked instinctively, feeling rather than seeing the hand that soared over them a split-second later.

'Wait here,' Link growled, crouching beside Dark. 'I've got a bone to pick with you.' He pointed a finger at his brother threateningly, but only got an eye roll in return.

Clambering to his feet Link shot on last glare at Dark, yanked on his other new hover boot, and spun to face the giant shadow. For a moment they faced off, Link steeling himself and the shadow drumming on the floor, and then they both pounced.

It took a lot of trial and error and guesswork to vanquish the shadow, seeing as it was kinda difficult to juggle the lens of truth and his bow. Aiming for the hands was easy, but when he'd dealt with them and the body was rushing him he had to either dodge or shoot blindly for the eye he'd seen briefly earlier.

He ended up with the lens clamped between his teeth, ready to be glanced through at a moment's notice, and his bow in his hands as he skidded around the platform – the new boots weren't quite so nifty when he wasn't using them to hover.

As ever, though, in the end he was bruised, battered and out of breath and the monster was vanquished. Just another day in the life of Link, the Hero of Hyrule.

'Very impressive,' Dark said through gritted teeth with obvious sarcasm when Link traipsed over to him, hover-booted feet sliding all over the place, a hand on his side where a painful stitch had appeared.

'Shut up,' Link snapped, dropping the heart container the shadow had left behind on his brother's chest. Recoiling Dark grunted in pain, lifting his head a little to look at it.

'Why are you giving this to me?' He wheezed, slumping back against the floor with a pained sigh.

'Cause I'm pretty sure I heard bones break when that monster grabbed you and I've only got a few bruises,' Link replied, sitting down beside his brother and crossing his legs. The anger he'd felt earlier was gone, leaving him with nothing but confusion.

'This is so pathetic,' Dark murmured, staring up at the gloomy ceiling. 'First I help you and- now I'm letting you heal me.'

'What's so wrong with that?' Link asked, pursing his lips slightly. 'I'm your brother – saving each other's what we do.'

'We're not brothers,' Dark replied softly. 'We're enemies.' Pain twisted in Link's chest at that and he looked away to hide it. Maybe what Dark said was true, but it hadn't stopped him fulfilling a promise he'd made over ten years ago.

To always protect Link from the shadows.


	9. Chapter 8 - Dark

_**AN: So, slightly earlier chapter this week - it was either this or have it be three days late and I thought this would be better. Okay, thanks to WolfenAmphithere, pokemonfan67, Wildgirl404, silverheartlugia2000, AnimeAngel111 and SweetestChick for your reviews! Also, thank you to AnimeAngel111 for replying to the question in chapter seven. It really means a lot, so thank you!  
Well, without further ado, on with chapter eight. I hope you enjoy, and please do review!  
**_

Eight – Dark

For all the heart container's abilities to heal Dark was still sore all over as Link pulled him to his feet. The broken bones had melded back together again, leaving nothing but a deep, dull throbbing that made him wince whenever he moved. He bore it silently, though, as it was far better than the sharp stabbing of broken bones and he also saw it as a punishment. Pain was what he got in return for helping the enemy – for _saving_ the enemy.

He had thought he could do it. He had thought he could kill Link, or at least help facilitate his death. How wrong he had been. When he had seen the spirit's hand rushing towards the Hero he had meant to step back, to simply watch as Link met his demise, but then his body had seemed to move of his own accord. Everything he had been smothering and suppressing since they had entered the temple had risen inside him, until the next thing he knew he was pushing the Hero out of harm's way, yelling at him for being such an _insufferable idiot_.

He had well and truly betrayed Ganondorf.

That might have been the worst thing. He had never meant to; it had just happened. That made it even worse; it had been an instinct instead of a conscious choice. Link should have just let the spirit crush him.

Stretching his arms above his head in an effort to relieve the tension Dark looked to Link, who was wandering away across the platform towards the small, bright blue portal that had appeared there. Once he reached it he looked back to Dark, beckoning after a moment.

'Come on, then – what're you waiting for?' He called. Folding his arms Dark stayed where he was, staring at the Hero balefully.

'We've already been over this,' he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. 'You can't take a shadow into the Sacred Realm.'

'You didn't catch fire last time – I'm sure you won't this time,' Link said, beckoning a little more vigorously. 'C'mon, we haven't got all day.'

'Maybe you haven't…' Dark muttered, drifting closer nonetheless. He may have betrayed Ganondorf, but that didn't mean he was going to stop trying to carry out the orders he had been given. Even if it meant he had to rebel against his very nature he would _not_ disappoint Ganondorf again.

'Goddesses, you're slow,' Link complained, and suddenly he had latched onto Dark's arm, all but dragging him towards the portal. Dark struggled for a moment but when that caused a surge of aches to jolt through him he stopped, allowing Link to have his way just this once.

'Link, are you sure this is a good idea?' The fairy suddenly piped up, appearing out of seemingly nowhere to, thankfully, question the Hero's sanity like Dark was. For perhaps the first time he was glad of her presence.

'Yup,' Link replied cheerfully, drawing a scowl from Dark. He was _infuriating_. When the fairy didn't put up any more resistance than that Dark's scowl deepened. Scratch what he had said – they were _both _infuriating.

As the portal drew uncomfortably near Dark started struggling again. He could feel the light crawling across his skin even at a distance, and he did _not_ want to get any closer. At _all_.

Digging his heels in Dark yanked his arm out of Link's grip, meeting surprised blue eyes with his own borderline angry ones. He just _couldn't_. He didn't want anything to do with the portal, or its sacred blue light, or the _Sacred Realm_ beyond. Even if it meant staying in the pit they currently stood in forevermore Dark _would not_ step into that light.

'Dark? What's up?' Link stopped walking, frowning at him. Rubbing a hand against the back of his neck Dark shook his head.

'I don't care what you say – I'm not going with you. I'll find another way out. Try to die while I'm gone,' he said, backing up a step and directing his eyes to the ceiling, which was too far away to actually see. There were plenty of shadows, though, which gave him a pretty sure-fire path out of the room and, presumably, the temple.

'Nope,' Link said simply, grabbing Dark's arm again. 'I have faith that you'll be perfectly fine.' Caught off guard Dark didn't react in time as Link pulled him back towards the light, and then suddenly it was too late.

'No- stop- stop you idiot!'

'In you go,' Link said, ignoring his protests and shoving Dark directly into the heart of the portal. Dark cringed, flinching violently as the bright blue engulfed him, feeling rather than seeing Link step up beside him because he had squeezed his eyes shut to stop his eyeballs from frying. There was the sickening sensation of spinning uncomfortably fast before suddenly he was floating, the horrifically bright light dying down to a softer shade of blue as his feet hit the ground gently.

Cracking an eye open cautiously Dark couldn't help a soft intake of breath. It was _beautiful_. And it didn't hurt at all. Everything was light, glowing softly, but there was no pain, no uncomfortable prickling where it touched his skin. It appeared to be a room of sorts, the ceiling eons away while they stood on a platform in the centre of a bottomless pit, surrounded by pedestals of all different colours.

Wide eyed Dark looked around, listening to the soft chiming that filled the room and inhaling the soft scent that smelled of water and earth and and _light_. He had forgotten what it was like to stand in the light, if he had ever really known.

Extending a hand carefully Dark let his fingers emerge from beneath the sleeve of his cloak, meaning to see if the light wouldn't hurt his hand either.

And then everything shattered.

His skin was just as hateful a grey as always. He was still a living shadow. Nothing had changed, except that he had actually felt peaceful for a moment. He hadn't felt _different_.

Drawing his hand back into his sleeve swiftly Dark yanked his hood up, hiding away from the light as his skin began to crawl. He shouldn't be here – _couldn't_ be here. This was a sacred place, a place for the creatures that dwelled in the light. He didn't belong.

There was movement behind him and suddenly Link had appeared, his fairy dancing around his head. As he looked forward calmly Dark watched him, all his old feelings of resentment suddenly creeping back to twist poisonously in his chest. Gritting his teeth Dark followed Link's gaze in time to see a third figure appearing from nothing above the purple pedestal. They made an impressive sight, tall and muscular with strange silver hair and fierce red eyes.

'Ah, the one who holds the noble Zelda's ocarina,' she said, her voice deep and powerful. 'I expected to see _you_, but you have brought darkness with you to this place.' Her burning eyes shifted onto Dark, who bristled. Curling his hands into fists he bit back the harsh words that jumped to the tip of his tongue as Link glanced at him.

'Hey, why've you put that thing back up?' He asked, frowning slightly as his eyes flickered over Dark's hood before he looked back to the woman quickly. 'Uh, this is my brother, Dark.'

'So the Hero has a brother… that seems troublesome,' she mused quietly before waving a hand to cast aside her words. 'I am Impa, of the Sheikah. Caretaker of princess Zelda and the Sage who guards the Shadow Temple. We Sheikah have served Hyrule's royal family for generations, however when Ganondorf attacked seven years ago, the castle surrendered within a short time… he was searching for the ocarina you carry – a key to the sacred realm. Duty bid me take the princess far from Ganondorf's reach and abandon my post.'

Goddesses, did they really need her life story? Folding his arms Dark hugged himself tightly, hunching his shoulders slightly. He recalled the day Ganondorf had returned with the news that the castle had fallen. He had said it was a success, though not without its losses. So that was what he had meant? Well, they had still triumphed in the end.

'Don't tell me you're still gonna side with the guy?' Link asked, turning to Dark with an incredulous look on his face. Dark didn't reply, just glared back in silence. Link shook his head. 'You're crazy, Dark.' Maintaining his silence Dark intensified his glare, hoping it would burn right through the Hero's head. What did he know? What could he _possibly _know?

'You were just a boy when last I saw you,' Impa said, resonating voice demanding their attention. 'But you appear to have become a fine hero. Worry not, Princess Zelda is safe – you will see for yourself soon, and she will explain everything. When this occurs, we sages will seal away the Evil King and restore peace to Hyrule. I would advise you to escape the shadow that follows you before that time comes to pass.' Her red eyes drifted onto Dark and suddenly the edges of the blue world appeared to be tinted red as he fought the sudden murderous desire he had to _stab_ the sage. It was so strong it made him tremble, the ringing in his ears making it so that he didn't hear Link's reply.

He didn't notice the surge of blue light, barely felt the sudden spinning, before he was outside again and storming away, vaulting over the fence that separated the graveyard and the Shadow Temple. The light stabbed into his eyes but he didn't care. He just needed to get away.

He was so _fed up_ with _everything_.

'Dark- _Dark!'_ Link was following him but he ignored the Hero. He had the horrible feeling he was going to stab the first living thing he saw and, to be honest, he still didn't particularly want to kill Link. Even after everything.

'Dark, _wait!'_ A hand grabbed his arm and before he could stop himself he had whirled, sword drawn and pressed against the Hero's neck.

'Get. Off.' He hissed, seeing the shock in Link's blue eyes before the Hero's grip tightened.

'No,' Link said simply, staring at Dark with his stupid, expressive eyes.

'Get off of me, Link, or I swear to all three goddesses I'm going to-'

'So do it then.' Link cut him off, voice and expression frustratingly steady. 'Stab me.' He raised his eyebrows expectantly. 'Cause I don't think you will. All these times you've tried to kill me, and nothing. You even saved me once – so make up your mind, 'cause I can't stand this.'

How dare he be so calm when Dark was so worked up?

Tightening his grip on his sword handle Dark pressed the blade a little more firmly against Link's throat. Of course Link would find some way to twist the situation into being about _him. _

'Sometimes, Link, I really _truly_ hate you,' Dark snarled impulsively, childishly, watching the hurt that flashed into the Hero's face with a mixture of vindictive pleasure and sorrow. He ignored the latter, too angry to care. He didn't care about hurting Link's feelings, didn't even care about maintaining a façade of control anymore.

'So then kill me,' Link said, voice wobbling slightly now. 'If you hate me so much. It'll solve all your problems, won't it?' Why was he acting like he was trying to be selfless?

'Link!' Suddenly the fairy was there, voice aghast. She spun to face Dark, apparently with every intention of rushing him again.

'Don't you dare,' Dark warned. 'Get any closer and I'll cut his head off.' Adding a little pressure to the blade to make his point he heard a soft hiss of pain and then a thin rivulet of blood was running down Link's neck. The Hero winced, but didn't move away. The fairy hovered agitatedly, apparently conflicted.

'It's all right, Navi,' Link said with a shaky grin. 'He's not gonna hurt me.' Dark opened his mouth to correct him before clacking his teeth together and gritting them tightly.

Link was right. Beyond that one small cut Dark couldn't bring himself to go any further, no matter how angry he was. If anything that just made him angrier, though. Goddesses, this was so _absolutely infuriating_. It didn't help that a small part of him was telling him to grow up, to stop being so stupid, so sentimental. To stop whining and just _get on with it_. He _knew_ he was being stupid, but there was nothing else he could do. He couldn't help his emotions.

Feeling the slight prickle of furious tears in his nose Dark pulled away, staring at Link for a moment before spinning and marching away. He needed to be alone until he regained control of himself. Sheathing his sword he strode on, ignoring Link when the Hero tried to recall him. That got him nowhere, though, as a moment later Link was next to him, keeping pace easily with his angry strides.

'C'mon, Dark,' Link said, flapping his hands uselessly. 'What's got into you?'

'Nothing's "got into me",' Dark snapped, knowing he shouldn't be engaging the Hero but unable to help himself. 'You just haven't noticed it before.'

'But why're you so angry all of a sudden?'

'Oh, I don't know,' Dark said as sarcastically and bitterly as he could. 'Maybe it had something to with your sage friend insulting me?'

'Dark- just _stop_,' Link demanded, grabbing him and forcing him to halt. Grinding his teeth Dark stood stiffly, not meeting the wide blue eyes that were fixed on him. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

'What do you care?' Dark muttered, seeing the hurt rise into the face opposite him. 'You wouldn't understand, anyway.'

'Try me,' Link said, tightening his grip on Dark's shoulders. 'I definitely won't understand if you don't explain. I mean, one minute you're trying to stab me or cut off my head, the next you're saving me? You're right I _don't_ understand. I don't understand how you can work for Ganondorf, or how you can just shut out your emotions, and I just- I just don't get _you_ anymore, Dark.'

'Let go,' Dark murmured, dropping his gaze to the floor. Link's words hurt more than he cared to admit, even if he deserved it, even if he had expected it. They no longer saw eye to eye, and it was only natural that his simple-minded brother couldn't wrap his head around it.

'No,' Link said, tightening his grip further for emphasis. 'Not until you tell me what's wrong.'

'Let go,' Dark repeated, more loudly this time.

'_No_.'

'Let _go _of me, Link.' Dark raised his voice, reaching up to try and dislodge Link's hands. He didn't want to explain himself. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to lose what little control he had left. He didn't want Link to understand, because then he would hate him.

'Not until you tell me,' Link said calmly and Dark sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth, feeling the angry burn return to his nose, prickling through his eyes. He would _not_ lose control in front of Link. He was _fine_. He didn't care. He didn't feel anything. He didn't feel a thing. He. Did. Not. Feel. A. _Goddess_. _Forsaken_. _Thing_.

'Dark?' Link's voice softened, its owner shifting slightly to try and see under the brim of Dark's hood.

'Let _go_ of me!' Dark couldn't help it, his voice rose uncontrollably before he could stop it and then he was tearing himself free of Link's grip, shoving the Hero away, the violent movement knocking his hood back off of his head.

Breathing heavily Dark stared – no, glared – at Link, for once not feeling the sting of the sun on his face.

'I don't want your sympathy, or your understanding,' he spat, spreading his arms for emphasis. 'I don't need it. I don't care if you're confused, I don't care that you feel bad. What I _do_ care about is not failing Ganondorf and killing _you_.'

If he was honest with himself he didn't know who he was trying to convince more anymore, himself or Link.

All the same he was surprised when Link suddenly slumped, all the calm fight leaving him as he hunched his shoulders, balling his hands into fists at his sides. He looked so dejected that it made Dark's heart clench, though he tried to ignore it – told himself he didn't feel it.

'I'm sorry,' Link whispered, so quietly Dark had to take a moment to work out what he had said.

'Come again?' Dark was a little startled by the Hero's sudden change in mood, and the question left him unbidden.

'I said I'm sorry,' Link said, voice still almost inaudible. 'I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long, for not finding you sooner, for letting Ganondorf change you into someone I don't even know anymore. I should've looked for you. I should've looked _harder_. I was just so scared to leave the forest.' He gave a soft, bitter little laugh. 'I got lost in the woods so many times looking for you – Saria would always get _so_ mad… she always said getting lost and eaten by wolfos wouldn't help me find you. She was right, of course.'

'Saria's always right about everything,' Dark said before he could stop himself, earning himself a startled look from watery blue eyes. Link's grief was so tangible Dark could practically feel it himself, and it had the oddest calming effect. The anger was subsiding into melancholy, which in a way was almost worse. He had to think things through when he wasn't angry. He had to be calm, logical.

'Why're you working for him, Dark?' Link asked softly, voice cracking a little. Staring at the Hero for a long moment Dark realised he didn't know what to say. How could he explain? Despite everything he had said and done he didn't want Link to hate him, and he surely would once he knew _why_.

Link was persistent. 'Is he threatening you?'

'No.' Only occasionally.

'Are you scared of him or something?'

'No.' Maybe a little.

'Do you wanna destroy Hyrule too?'

'No.' If he was being honest, sometimes – though only when he was in an exceptionally bad mood.

'So then _why_?' Link frowned heavily, apparently really trying to understand – or guess, seeing as Dark was deliberately not helping.

'It's about the end goal,' Dark relented after a moment, watching Link's brow furrow further, if that was even possible.

'Which is…?' Link prompted, but Dark had said all that he was going to.

'You wouldn't understand,' he replied, shaking his head and pulling his hood up again. He had had enough light for the next ten years at least.

'Oh come _on_,' Link complained, casting an annoyed look at the sky briefly. 'I just wanna know _why_!'

'Yes, well I don't want you to,' Dark said, turning away. But not for the reason you think, he added silently, heaving a soft little sigh.

He was pathetic.

Why couldn't he just shut out his emotions? Why couldn't he just calmly dispatch the Hero and move on? Just as Link barely knew him, he barely knew Link anymore. He couldn't even remember what Link's favourite colour was so why, _why_ couldn't he just get this over with? Catch the Hero off guard, run him through and move on. It was so simple and yet, _and yet!_ He cared too much. Even after ten years apart he still cared about Link, still wanted to keep him from harm like he had when they were younger.

He was so very pathetic. And so very, very conflicted.

'I know you're not telling me anything, but are you still gonna be following me around trying to kill me?' Link suddenly asked, the change in topic snapping Dark out of his thoughts.

'I plan to, yes,' he said. Link stared at him for a moment before giving a thoughtful hum.

'Are you sure?' Link asked, tilting his head innocently. 'Wouldn't you rather just hang out with me instead of trying to kill me every five minutes and then saving me at really random moments?'

'Think whatever you want,' Dark said flatly, resisting the urge to snap or argue. 'I had a momentary lapse in judgement in the temple – you shouldn't expect it to become a recurring thing.'

'Right, right,' Link said with a grin, shrugging carelessly. 'Whatever you say.'

When he started walking away, hands buried in his pockets, Dark scowled after him for a moment before following. He had absolutely no intention of going anywhere. He didn't even want to think about returning to Ganondorf empty handed a second time, and when he wasn't being mind-blowingly irritating Link actually made reasonable company. Staying with the Hero and continuing to seek out an opportunity definitely struck Dark as the better, less life-threatening option.

It had nothing at all to do with the fact that Link might have, again, been right.

Even though it had failed so spectacularly the first time Dark tried to cast aside his emotions once again as he traipsed after Link, only half-ignoring the nonsensical conversation the Hero was having with his fairy as they walked, winding between graves in the direction of Kakariko Village.

As they passed out from the graveyard and into the village Dark pulled his hood a little more securely down over his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground and the backs of Link's boots. Hunching his shoulders he tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible, not trusting the villagers to leave him alone about their seared houses. Well, he didn't trust them full stop, really, but as long as they left him alone he was content.

'Oh, hey,' Link suddenly spoke, turning so that he was walking backwards while facing Dark, arms crossed behind his head. 'That lady you saved – the Cucco lady – she wanted to say thanks for saving her, so if you see her around go say hi, 'kay?'

'I'll bear that in mind,' Dark said, secretly surprised. She wanted to thank him? That had never happened before. Usually people just freaked out and chased him away. He might actually have to keep an eye out for her, to see if what Link said was true. He knew the Hero wasn't one to lie but past experiences held more bearing on him than the words of one person.

Link continued to walk backwards for a few more steps – as Dark half-hoped he'd trip and bash his head in all the while – before spinning to face forward again, whistling tunelessly as he went.

How could he be so _cheerful?_ Dark just didn't understand. Especially when he had been on the verge of tears only minutes ago. The Hero had always had a sunny disposition but it was hard to believe he would still maintain it after everything he had been through. Sure he had teared up a few times and looked glum a few others, but on the whole he had been relentlessly upbeat, never stopping and always grinning his stupid, wide, infectious grin.

It must be the reverse of what Dark did. Maybe where Dark shut them out and shut them down, Link covered his emotions with a smile. With love and light and happiness. And always with a smile. It seemed impossible to Dark. Switching off his emotions, when he could, was so much _easier_. Smiling past them would be unbearable. He would break down in minutes at best. If he had to choose between feeling and not feeling he would always choose the latter, no doubt about it.

Oh, how he envied the light that was Link.


	10. Chapter 9 - Link

_**AN: Back to the normal time this week, and hopefully for all the remaining weeks to come. Thanks to silverheartlugia2000, Wildgirl404 and pokemonfan67 for your reviews! With that in mind, please do review this chapter if you enjoy it, or even if you don't - feedback is really appreciated.  
Well, with that out of the way, on with the chapter - enjoy!  
**_

Nine – Link

'Thanks for waiting for me,' Link cooed, stroking Epona's neck affectionately. She nickered softly, pushing against his head with her nose. He couldn't have asked for a more loyal friend than her, he was sure. She didn't always wait for him, sure, but she was never far and always answered his calls. Today she'd waited, grazing at the bottom of the path to Kakariko Village until his return.

Hugging her gently Link huffed a small sigh, breathing in her familiar horsey smell as he heard what sounded like a scoff behind him.

'Shut up, Dark,' he said, not looking round as he resumed his petting of Epona. She snorted softly in agreement, and Dark sighed back at them. 'I have to get to the desert, and offending Epona more than you already have is a really bad idea if you want to follow me.' Glancing back at Dark Link raised his eyebrows, waiting for a reply that wasn't a flat glare.

'I haven't even done anything to her,' Dark eventually protested, folding his arms. 'All I've done is tried to kill _you_.'

'Yeah, well, Epona doesn't like it when people try to kill me,' Link replied. 'Do you?' He looked back to Epona, rubbing her neck again, and she gave a soft huff of agreement. 'See?'

'Right,' Dark said in a sceptical voice, and Link heard his footsteps as he moved closer. Epona's ears flicked back but she didn't do anything else, letting Dark move forward until he was about a metre away from her. Link glanced between his two travelling companions, wondering what to do.

'Let's just get this over with, shall we?' He muttered, reaching out to grab Dark's hand. Dragging him forward and ignoring the protest that followed he pulled Dark closer to Epona, all the while stroking her neck reassuringly.

'It's all right,' he said softly, not sure who he was reassuring exactly. 'It's all right.' Epona shifted slightly but didn't react in any way as Link fished an apple from his bag and handed it to Dark. He surveyed it for a moment before offering it to Epona. She snorted at him once but didn't try to bite or move away from him, which Link took as a good sign. After a moment Epona took the fruit, chewing loudly as Dark touched her neck, rubbing gently. There was a moment of silence before, softly, Dark whistled the very tune Link'd used to gain her trust when they'd first met.

'What…?' Link managed, startled as Epona's ears perked up and she nickered softly. Somehow it felt like a betrayal as the tension left her muscular frame and she pushed against his brother slightly.

'You played it on your ocarina outside the temple yesterday,' Dark explained, glancing round at Link. 'And she ran faster to meet you. I figured it would be something like this.' Flashing him a mocking grin Dark turned back to Epona as Link scrambled for something to say. He came up blank and huffed quietly, moving round to mount his horse without a word. Dark stayed where he was for a moment before climbing up behind him, and while Link was tempted to put him in front he tried to reassure himself that his brother was _not_ going to push him off a horse. He'd probably get thrown off too in the process, and so far Dark'd been pretty sensible so Link didn't think he'd make such a bad decision.

Well, knowing life he probably would.

Tightening his grip on the reins Link coaxed Epona into a gallop, directing her towards the desert. They rode in silence, Link all the while expecting to feel Dark's hands on his shoulders, pushing him off. He hated suspecting his brother but he didn't have a choice. Dark might've saved him earlier, but Link knew it was safer to keep expecting the worst, seeing as that was usually what ended up happening. The goddesses seemed to hate him enough to let it happen.

He was so confused.

He wished he could understand what was going on in Dark's head, but he didn't. He didn't have a clue. And Dark wasn't exactly explaining, which frustrated Link to no end. He just wanted to know _why_. If Dark would just tell him _why_! Was it really something so awful that he couldn't?

When everything was said and done, though, he didn't really care about Dark's motives – he just wanted his brother back – but if he was going to make him see differently then Link needed to know why, didn't he? The problem was Dark didn't want to tell him. And the Dark he remembered had been a stubborn kid, maybe even more stubborn than him. And he was pretty stubborn.

Shaking his head slightly Link let out a long breath, realising he wasn't going to get anything from Dark, at least not right now. He should focus on the bigger issue – finding and finishing the next temple. And beating Ganondorf would probably be a sure-fire way to get Dark back, right? Still, he really wasn't looking forward to traipsing around in the desert. It couldn't be avoided though, which was a shame.

In the end it didn't take long to reach the entrance to the desert, but once they were there Link found there was, of course, another obstacle in the way.

The bridge was broken.

The bridge, which as far as he could tell was the only way into the desert, was broken. Completely gone. There was nothing but a pile of splinters and broken planks on either side.

'_For the love of the goddesses!'_ Link yelled – well, screeched – flailing his arms as he stared down at the deep cavern the bridge'd spanned. He'd jumped from Epona as soon as he'd seen the carnage, and hadn't been able to contain himself. His voice rang back at him mockingly as he took a few deep breaths, stepping away from the edge before he did something stupid. Like flung himself over it.

'Calm down, Link, it's all right,' Navi said, voice nervous as she fluttered next to him. Sucking in a deep breath through his nose then holding it Link tipped his head back to look at the sky until his chest began to ache painfully. Exhaling sharply he turned round, finding Dark and Epona stood a little way away watching him. Dark tilted his head slightly and Link curled his hands into fists for a second before letting out a long breath, closing his eyes for a minute and letting the anger go. He just needed to think this through, to find another solution. He was getting good at that lately – it couldn't be that hard.

'Why not just jump across?' A little of his calm crumbled away as Dark spoke but he bit his tongue, opening his eyes slowly to stare at his brother.

'What?' He demanded, not able to bring himself to care about the grump in his voice.

'Why not just jump across?' Dark repeated, tilting his head in Epona's direction. 'On her?' He couldn't see Dark's face but Link was fairly sure he knew what kind of expression his brother was wearing. Sucking in another breath Link glanced over his shoulder at the gap. Would Epona be able to make it? Maybe, but not with both of them riding her.

'One of us'll be stuck over here, though,' he said slowly, looking back to Dark who shrugged slightly.

'Hardly.'

'What's that s'posed to mean?' Link demanded, looking between his brother and the ledge. 'D'you think you can jump it or something?' _That_ would be impressive, but Link was pretty sure it wasn't possible.

'Not at all,' Dark said, offering no explanation as he moved to stand beside Link. Link shuffled away just a little, aware of the exceedingly high drop just a few paces away. Dark gave a little scoff, shaking his head. Scowling Link suddenly found himself resisting the urge to push _Dark_ off the cliff.

'I don't believe you can get across,' Link said after a minute. 'But if I leave you here will you go back to Ganondorf?'

'No,' Dark said simply and Link peered at him with narrow eyes for a moment. Couldn't he answer questions in any other ways?

'Really?'

'Not until you're dead,' Dark explained, almost sounding like he was joking but Link was pretty sure that was just him being stupid.

'But what are you gonna do while I'm over there?' Link pressed, not trusting his brother to not be lying.

'Pray for your demise,' Dark replied blandly, voice flat. 'And I can get across just fine, thank you very much.' Narrowing his eyes further Link peered at his brother, not believing him in the slightest.

'How?'

'You don't need to know that,' Dark said, staring out across the gap. Link opened his mouth, paused, and then let out a long breath because he didn't see himself getting a straight answer any time soon.

'Fine, whatever, be that way,' he grumbled, shaking his head and turning back to Epona. He crossed to her side and pulled himself up into the saddle. 'But seriously, if you're not right behind me then I'm coming back over.'

'Is that supposed to be a threat?' Dark asked, still staring out across the canyon. 'You're the one who actually needs to go over there, remember?'

Link opened his mouth then closed it again. Dark had a point, as much as Link hated to admit it. He would just have to pray that Dark wasn't lying and actually _could_ get across. The goddesses wouldn't screw him over on even that, surely? Plus, why would Dark lie about it? There was no point, unless he was seriously planning to go back to Ganondorf.

Shaking himself Link forced his whirring thoughts aside. There wasn't much point thinking about it, really. Either Dark came across or he didn't – Link'd just have to deal with the consequences. If that meant tying his brother up and _catapulting_ him over the gap then so be it. He'd do it, too.

Wasting no more time dithering Link dug his heels into Epona's sides, and a second later they were galloping straight towards the gap.

'C'mon, girl,' he murmured, gripping the reins tightly as he felt Epona's muscles bunching underneath him.

And then they were in the air, soaring over the endless drop – or at least it looked pretty endless from where Link sat. He would deny it to his last breath if asked but he closed his eyes, scrunching up his face as he waited for the sickening sensation of falling, because there was no way the goddesses would let him jump a chasm without a hitch, but seconds that felt like minutes later Epona's hooves thudded into the ground again and they were over.

Sitting up slowly Link cracked open his eyes as Epona slowed to a walk, letting out a breathless laugh as he found himself coming level with a large tent. There was a person stood in front of it, and they were maybe vaguely familiar but Link couldn't place where he'd seen them before. Either way they were muscly and looked bad-tempered, their arms folded across their chest and a frown on their face.

Taking a few breaths as his heart slowed Link steered Epona towards the person before stopping suddenly to look around for Dark. His eyes jumped to the other side of the canyon, roaming around frantically, but there was no one there. He couldn't've made a break for the castle, could he?

'I'll kill him,' Link hissed to himself, taking a breath. 'D-'

'Looking for someone?' Just as Link opened his mouth to yell his brother's name the familiar flat voice sounded beside him and he spun in the saddle, so quickly he nearly fell straight off Epona. Dark snorted from where he stood with his arms folded beside the mare, annoying hood still up.

'What the…?' Link couldn't find the words. 'How, for the love of Farore, did you get over here?'

'A magician never reveals his secrets,' Dark said blandly, spreading his hands unapologetically. Link spluttered for a moment, irritated and bewildered and relieved all at the same time, before he let it go. He wasn't gonna get any answers, so why even bother?

'I'll bet,' he grumbled eventually, slipping from Epona's back and rubbing her neck. 'Thanks, girl.' She snorted softly, leaning against him as Dark moved round to stand by him. Link watched him from the corner of his eye, resisting the urge to edge away, but didn't say anything. He was just glad Dark hadn't tried to leave, really. The thought of his brother being around Ganondorf made his skin crawl, especially when Dark seemed to _want to_. _That_ made him feel sick to his stomach.

Cutting off his thoughts before he got angry Link gave Epona's neck one last rub before moving towards the stranger and his tent. The stranger lifted a hand to beckon him as he drew closer, and when he was near enough the man opened his abnormally large, red mouth.

'Hey, you! Are you going to the fortress?' He practically bellowed, and Link cringed back at the sudden loud noise.

'Uh, fortress?' He repeated, confused.

'If you are, would you mind finding out what my workers are doing?' The man continued, not even appearing to hear Link.

'Sure,' Link said after a moment's hesitation. He couldn't say no to a request for help, even if he had no idea what the guy was talking about. The man didn't seem to want to say anything else so Link wandered back to Dark and Epona, thinking. Weird guy.

'Hey, Dark, do you know if there's a fortress round here?' He asked as he approached, and Dark pulled his hood down slowly in thoughtful silence. Link didn't know why he was so glad to be able to actually see his brother's face, but it was unnerving when it was hidden under the hood. He couldn't tell what Dark was thinking at the best of times, so covering his face just made it even more difficult.

'The fortress?' Dark repeated, tilting his head slightly before a grin flashed across his face. Link's stomach dropped as he caught it – it was the same kind of smile he'd given right when he'd led Link into a death trap. 'Yes, I know it. Maybe I won't have to kill you after all.'

That did _not_ sound good.

'What do you mean?' Suddenly Navi was there, asking the question before Link could think to. 'Is it dangerous?'

'Very,' Dark replied airily, running his fingers through his hair slowly. 'I wish you luck, Mr Hero. You're going to need it.'

That definitely didn't sound good. Not at all.

'What? Why?' Link demanded, momentarily forgetting that trying to get answers from Dark was like pulling teeth, only about a hundred times worse.

'It's the Gerudo Fortress,' Dark said, catching Link off-guard when he actually answered a question for once. 'A place no man is allowed to set foot.'

Link was suddenly reminded of all the times Dark'd scared him and the other Kokiri senseless with all kinds of ghost stories when they were younger. He was scarily good at telling scary stories, and right now his tone was just like it'd always been when he'd set the scene for a particularly terrifying one. Link shivered slightly just remembering, however stupid the stories seemed now.

'Have you really never heard of it?' Dark continued, tone going from threatening to condescending.

'I'm not stupid,' Link grouched, scowling when Dark's eyebrows rose. 'I've heard ofit, just not much…' He trailed off into a mumble at the end, not liking the way Dark always seemed to treat him like he was stupid. Not everyone got raised by evil nobility.

'Well, you'd best get your stealth-head on, otherwise you're going to be locked in jail for the rest of your life,' Dark warned and Link's scowl softened to a frown.

'I thought you just said I'd get killed if I went there,' he said, and Dark rolled his eyes.

'Details.' He waved a hand flippantly. 'I said I wouldn't have to kill you – if you're in prison you're hardly going to be a threat to our plans, now are you?'

'That's not so bad,' Link said, shrugging lightly. 'You can escape from prisons. Yeah, actually, that's not scary at all – you got my hopes up for nothing, Dark.'

'I wouldn't underestimate the Gerudo, Link,' Dark said with a slight shrug. 'And I never said they _wouldn't_ kill you, mind. And you _do_ know who their leader is, don't you?'

'Uh…' Link paused, wracking his brains. He was pretty sure he knew, but being put on the spot always left his brain completely empty.

'_Ganondorf_,' Dark said with a sly smile that widened when he saw that register in Link's brain.

'What?' Link looked in the direction of the desert, finding his heart suddenly beating faster. Was it fear? Or was it anger? 'So then they're evil?' Looking back to Dark Link saw his brother sigh, irritation flashing across his face. At least he didn't seem to be trying to block out all his emotions anymore.

'No, they're not,' he said after a moment, and Link frowned.

'But they work for Ganondorf – isn't that what you said?'

'Ganondorf-' Dark broke off, looking like he was gritting his teeth as he made a slight, harsh noise. 'They're not evil, Link.' He shook his head, lifting his eyes to the sky for a second. 'You know what, they'll probably welcome you with open arms. The _great_ _Hylian_ _Hero_, come to free them from their _terrible Evil King_.'

'Why're you being sarcastic?' Link demanded, annoyed now. 'Ganondorf's _evil_, Dark – why can't you see that?!'

'For all I care, Link, _you're_ the evil one,' Dark replied, which made Link freeze. 'But we could debate this for years. Now are you going to go to the fortress or should I just stab you now?'

Link couldn't speak, shocked by this new revelation. Dark thought _he_ was evil? He was trying to save Hyrule, though! How did that make him evil? Or was it 'cause he'd left Dark alone for ten years? He didn't know why, but the only reason he could think of was Ganondorf. Everything was Ganondorf's fault. He'd got inside Dark's head and messed it up. Link didn't know how, but he knew for sure it'd happened. Goddesses, he hated that man. Absolutely _loathed_ him.

'Link?' Navi suddenly spoke near his ear and he started, blinking.

'Yeah?' He lifted his eyes from the floor, noticing for the first time the sharp pain stabbing through his palms. Looking down at his hands he found deep crescent marks in both of them – he'd been clenching his fists without even noticing.

'Are you all right?' Navi asked, hovering in front of his face.

'Yeah, fine,' Link said, realising he'd been lying to her a lot lately. He couldn't help it. He didn't want her to worry.

'Then can you _please_ get a move on?' Dark sighed from where he'd, as always, been stood quietly observing Link's consternation. Link kinda wished he'd just attack him already, because he hated getting so caught up in his thoughts. It made him vulnerable, and he really couldn't afford that. Though to be fair nothing had happened so far when he'd spaced out, so he seemed to be safe from Dark at least.

'Okay, I'm going,' he sighed, turning back to Epona. 'Let's see how bad these not-at-all-evil-Gerudo are, then.'

'I would go on foot if I were you,' Dark warned suddenly as Link made to hoist himself up into the saddle.

'What? Why?' Link frowned, dropping back down onto the floor.

'When you get caught – it's inevitable, trust me – do you really want your horse caught too? Who knows what will happen to her. You'll be thrown in jail, but what about your most trusted steed?' Link knew he was being wound up, he could just tell, but all the same Dark's words made him nervous. Would he be putting Epona in danger? Did people who lived in the desert eat horses or something? What if they hurt her?

Epona nickered softly, leaning against him again as she turned to look at him. Link huffed out a long breath, pursing his lips.

'All right, fine.' Moving round to stroke her head Link sighed softly. 'Stay here, girl, all right?' He said softly, rubbing her neck gently. She snorted back at him and he smiled. 'Atta girl,' he mumbled, glancing at Dark who was watching with his usual flat expression.

'I don't care if you're winding me up – I'm not risking Epona's safety,' Link grumbled, not sure why he felt like he had to explain himself. Dark could think he was stupid all he liked; he wasn't going to put his beloved companion in harm's way.

'How sweet,' Dark deadpanned, rolling his shoulders slightly. 'It's nice to know you care.'

'Shut up,' Link said, spinning round and ignoring his brother. Without another word he strode away, up the path that curved around a corner into the unknown. He really needed to stop letting his anger get the better of him. Dark kept driving him to run head first into things to escape the constant annoyance and snide comments, and it was really going to get him killed.

That was… kind of the point, wasn't it? Goddesses, Dark was so frustrating!

Quickening his pace Link balled his hands into fists, unable to hide the scowl on his face. Luckily no one was there to see it, but he just couldn't get rid of it. Was this what it meant to have a brother? Constantly arguing and annoying each other? Ten years was a long time, and Link wasn't sure if he remembered anymore. He didn't remember having arguments with Dark when they were younger, but then that might've been it. Kids didn't have fights – well, they did but they lasted for, like, five minutes and then all was right with the world again. But now that they were older… goddesses it was unbearable. Did they really have to argue over everything? Was it necessary for them to annoy each other every time they spoke? He wanted to blame Ganondorf, but he didn't know anymore. Maybe this was just what it was like to have a brother.

Despite everything the thought made Link smile, the scowl fading away as a feeling of elation swelled in his chest. He had a brother again. He'd found Dark. Did the rest really matter? Well, the thing with Ganondorf was kind of a big deal, but _other than that_, what was there to complain about?

'Why are you wearing such a stupid expression?' Not even Dark's deadpan voice could stop the happiness welling in Link's chest, though it did make him look over to his brother, who was staring at him with a frown.

'I'm happy,' Link said, earning himself a roll of bright red eyes.

'What a surprise,' Dark said flatly, shaking his head slightly. 'Why?'

Did… did Dark actually care about something Link was feeling? Had he really just asked him a question beyond "why haven't you died yet"?

'I just realised that I finally have a brother again,' Link said without hesitation and Dark shot him a bemused, unimpressed look.

'It took you that long to figure out?' He asked, but the mocking didn't annoy Link in the slightest. 'You really are an idiot, aren't you?'

'Mmhm,' Link hummed happily, swinging his arms slightly and walking on until sudden suspicion made him halt. Why, exactly, was Dark suddenly asking him questions? It couldn't be that easy to suddenly make him start caring again so what…?

Feeling his stomach drop Link looked around swiftly, finding himself out in a wide, open space, staring at a tall portcullis that was unmistakeably closed. Probably locked tight too.

A distraction. Dark had been distracting him. _Again_. Link couldn't believe he'd fallen for it _again_. Goddesses he was so stupid! How had this happened? Dark had flat-out told him to "get his stealth-head on", hadn't he? And he'd just blindly walked straight into a trap, hadn't he? The happiness vanished, leaving nothing but cold betrayal. He was _so stupid_. Why did he keep doing this? Why did he keep putting up with this? Dark didn't care – he'd made that clear – and yet Link had still chosen to believe he did?

Why?

_Why?!_

'You-' Link rounded on Dark, the words on the tip of his tongue, only to find his brother nowhere to be seen.

'Halt! Stay where you are!'

When darkness suddenly covered his vision Link wasn't even surprised. Scratchy fabric covered his eyes and hands grabbed him from all sides, but he didn't resist. All desire to had vanished. Poof. His hands were shaking and he couldn't tell if he was angry, sad or just betrayed. How had he let this happen again?

A few minutes of rough handling and hushed voices later and Link found himself falling into a pit, face planting at the bottom painfully. Groaning softly he rolled onto his back, yanking the fabric off his face and prodding his nose to check it wasn't broken. It wasn't, it just hurt.

Looking round Link stared at the bars in the wall beside him, feeling kinda numb. He wasn't entirely sure what'd just happened, but he knew it wasn't good and he knew it was Dark's fault.

'Stupid kid.' A voice, definitely a girl's, rang out from somewhere and Link looked around, noticing the gaping hole in the ceiling as he did. 'Stay in there and be quiet.'

'Right,' Link muttered, rising to his feet and keeping his eyes fixed on the hole. For some reason his captors – the Gerudo, he guessed – hadn't taken any of his weapons or items, which seemed a little stupid. Even to him. All he had to do was find his hookshot and then he was free.

'What did I tell you?' Red eyes suddenly appeared over the edge of the hole in the ceiling and then Dark was watching him, face once more hidden by his hood. 'Do you even know how to be subtle?'

'Shut up!' Link yelled, glaring up at his brother. 'Whose fault do you think this is?!'

'Yours, for getting distracted,' Dark replied immediately, leaning back slightly. 'Are you thinking of escaping?'

'Of course,' Link growled, rummaging in his pockets for his hookshot. Thank the goddesses for magical storage.

'Well, good luck,' Dark drawled, now reclining along the edge of the hole.

'Gee, thanks,' Link muttered, pulling the object free and gripping it tightly. 'Now move. This'll be a piece of cake.'

'Oh, I wouldn't be so sure,' Dark said, leaning over the edge a little. 'Escape is nigh impossible here.'

'What d'you mean?' Link frowned, suspicious. He caught the flash of teeth as Dark grinned high above him.

'Welcome to the Gerudo Fortress, Hero.'


	11. Chapter 10 - Dark

_**AN: Another week, another update. Not gonna lie, I almost forgot to do this this week, because I'm finally free for the summer and got distracted! But I remembered, so no worries, right? Okay, so, thanks pokemonfan67, silverheartlugia2000, Guest and Guest for reviewing! To the two guests who did so, thank you so much for your lovely words - I wish I could respond more personally but you can't PM guests so... sorry :(  
To the first guest: yes, Link is a bit of an idiot, isn't he? I'm glad you're enjoying their banter!  
To the second guest: your review really made me smile, and you're welcome :P I think I owe you more thanks for reading and enjoying it!  
And now, with all that said and done, on with the chapter. I hope you enjoy, and please do review!  
**_

Ten – Dark

As he watched Link tumble back into the cell for what had to be the tenth time Dark couldn't decide if he should be exasperated or impressed. The Hero was certainly persistent, Dark would give him that.

'Seriously, what's up with this kid?' The Gerudo who had just had the pleasure of flinging Link into a pit muttered, turning to Dark. 'Who _is_ he?'

'My brother,' Dark replied, sitting up to let his legs dangle over the edge of the hole. He decided not to mention Link was a Hero destined to defeat their king, seeing as he didn't know how the woman would take it. One way or another it would probably be badly.

'Then he works for Lord Ganondorf?' The Gerudo peered back into the hole at Link who was squirming on the floor, groaning softly. She looked distinctly unimpressed and Dark couldn't help a soft, derisive snort.

'No, he doesn't,' he said, shrugging slightly when she looked at him with raised eyebrows. She shook her head, stepping away from the hole with the apparent intention of returning to her post.

'Think you could actually lend a hand and stop him getting out this time?' She asked, pausing to glance at him. Dark looked between her and the Hero.

'Sure,' he said with a shrug, not missing the disdainful look in her bright eyes. It didn't bother him. He knew they didn't like him, not just because he was a living shadow, and it didn't really bother him. They weren't afraid of him – in fact he knew they had at least a little respect for him if the token they'd given him was anything to go by – and that was all he wanted. He was completely fine with them disliking him, and honestly the feeling was mutual. He was male and a Hylian, they were rude and brusque. It wasn't a relationship that was going to work out.

'Good,' she said shortly, walking away without another word. Dark watched her go for a moment, following her bright hair as it swayed with each step, before turning back to look down at Link. He was on his feet now, scooping his hookshot up from the floor.

'I hope you're enjoying this,' he called, looking up to meet Dark's eyes. 'Because I'm gonna _kill you_ when I actually get out of here.'

'If it ever happens, then I look forward to it,' Dark said, leaning his elbows on his knees. Honestly, he was a little annoyed that this was what his mission had come to. He felt like there were so much better things he could be doing with his time, but instead he was sat in a desert watching the Hero of Time try to escape from prison. He could always kill him but, well, that hadn't really worked out so far had it?

Well, as long as he didn't get out then Dark was still doing his job, surely?

Tugging at the collar of his tunic Dark let out a long sigh, wondering why he always seemed to end up in his heaviest cloak when he was in the desert. Probably because the sun was so horrifically bright out there. He needed all the protection he could get.

'Goddesses, you're so annoying!' Link complained suddenly, aiming the hookshot at the ceiling a little way from Dark.

'It takes one to know one,' Dark said flatly, earning himself a sharp glare before the hookshot slammed into the ledge mere inches away from him. Leaning away slightly Dark rested his weight more heavily on his arms, shifting as Link careened through the air towards him. Shifting further he stretched out a foot, bracing himself for the moment a split-second later when Link crashed head first into his boot. Grimacing slightly – the Hero's head was surprisingly hard – Dark watched as Link fell back to the ground, moaning loudly and squirming around again as he clutched his head. Dark couldn't help the slight sense of satisfaction as he paid the Hero back for the times he had punched him.

'What was that for?!' Link wailed, pausing his squirming to peer through his fingers at Dark, who flexed his foot slowly, wriggling his toes as much as he could within the confines of his boot.

'I was asked to keep you in there,' Dark explained, reaching out to tug the hookshot free of the ledge. He studied it for a moment, passing it from hand to hand, before dropping it back down to its owner. It hit him square in the stomach, forcing a soft 'oof' from him before he was rolling around again, hands at his stomach now.

'Would you stop?!' Link yelled around gasps, giving a few feeble coughs. 'Seriously, what did I ever do to you?!'

'Nothing,' Dark said simply, swinging his legs slowly. Link stilled, staring up at him as he lay sprawled in a star shape, looking like he had a million questions on his mind. Dark didn't feel inclined to answer any of them, though thankfully the Hero stayed quiet, mood suddenly turning morose.

Sighing softly Dark told himself he didn't feel bad about it.

Link sat up slowly, sucking in a deep breath, then rose to his feet. He picked up the hookshot that had fallen to his feet and, faster than Dark could register, let it fly. Pain shot through his leg, and looking down he found the device wrapped around his leg, tight about his shin.

'Whoa-' Suddenly finding himself being dragged from the ledge Dark couldn't help a startled exclamation, instinctively reaching for the edge of the hole as it slipped by. His fingers closed around the edge and he hung, feeling his arm shake under the strain of resisting the pull of the retracting hookshot. Reaching up with his other hand he gripped the ledge firmly, looking down at Link who was glaring up at him with fiery blue eyes.

As Dark watched the Hero gave the hookshot a vicious tug and when he refused to let the ledge go he felt the rope tighten and scrape down his leg, biting into his skin even through his clothes. Hissing softly in pain Dark tried to resist, digging his nails into the wood lining the hole, but it was impossible. If he didn't want his leg pulled off he would have to let go.

'Fine,' he hissed, adjusting his grip before letting go abruptly. The pull of the hookshot made his fall even faster and when his feet hit the floor his legs buckled, dropping him heavily onto his back. Winded Dark scrunched up his face, rolling onto his side as he gasped for air.

'Not so fun when it's you, huh?' Link growled from where he stood over him, still holding the hookshot tightly.

'Not so bad when it's you, is it?' Dark managed to retort, grimacing slightly and seeing something like surprise flit across Link's face. 'You're pretty mean for a hero, aren't you?'

'Shut up,' Link said, looking a little like he was thinking of kicking Dark. But he was too honourable to do that, so he instead just released Dark's leg, once again aiming the hookshot at the hole in the ceiling. Still catching his breath Dark watched in silence as Link vanished over the ledge, peering back over it a moment later.

'Enjoy your stay,' he said with a wide, mocking grin as his fairy hovered by his face. Dark could just imagine it blowing a raspberry at him. 'Let's see _you_ get outta here.'

Sighing heavily Dark watched the Hero disappear, sitting up slowly and checking the damage on his leg. It was rubbed a little raw, but he would survive. It was hardly the worst injury he had ever had, and it wasn't like Link had actually shot him with the hookshot's extremely sharp point. Rising to his feet he dusted down his clothes, rolling his shoulders before tugging his hood back up over his face.

Well, tracking down an escaping prisoner would certainly be more interesting than watching a captive one.

Crossing to the cell's barred wall he paused, taking a breath as he concentrated. Summoning his magic he held his breath, pain splintering across his skin as it melted down into smoke, and stepped forward through the wooden bars. Opening his eyes slowly he waited for the pain to ebb away before releasing the breath he was holding, feeling his heart thud in his chest from the lack of air as his head throbbed softly. Readjusting his hood Dark rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers agitatedly. He hated using that ability. It only ever served as a reminder of what he was.

Having just seen Link spend half a day struggling to escape that very same cage he had walked straight out of made it even worse.

Forcing the feeling aside Dark shook his head, setting off through the bewildering maze of corridors that made up the Gerudo Fortress. It was like it was designed to confuse, so he wasn't all that surprised when he quickly got lost, finding himself wandering round in circles for what felt like hours. He _was_ surprised, however, when he rounded a corner and nearly collided with Link, who was backing up at a crouch. Raising his eyebrows slightly Dark stopped, waiting for Link to notice him. As he waited he peered round the corner, finding a Gerudo stood guarding the other end of it. There were a few mightily convenient crates blocking Link from her line of sight, though to be honest Dark was a little disappointed by her lack of vigilance.

Eventually, when Link refused to check behind him like an idiot and instead remained staring intently at the woman, Dark cleared his throat softly, unable to help a smile at the way the Hero whirled, collapsing in a heap with a startled exclamation. The fairy fluttered protectively next to him, though Dark paid her no mind.

'How- what- why are you here?!' Link spluttered in a hushed whisper, scrambling away until he was pressed against the wall on the other side of the corridor, still out of the Gerudo's line of sight.

'I could ask you the same question,' Dark replied, for the sake of his sanity deciding not to alert anyone to the Hero's presence. 'Why haven't you left yet?'

'That old guy with the tent asked me to find his carpenters,' Link explained, his eyes darting about all over the place as he apparently tried to decide which direction to bolt in. 'And I found 'em – they're all locked up in here. I can't leave 'til I free them all. I've got three so far.'

'What a saint you are.' Rolling his eyes Dark leaned against the wall next to him, wanting to shake his head at the Hero's antics but knowing he would probably do the same if asked. Although, he wouldn't have to sneak around quite as much seeing as he was fairly free to go where he pleased.

'Shut up,' Link hissed, casting a furtive glance around the corner at the Gerudo. 'I'm still angry with you.'

'And that's supposed to bother me?' Dark asked, raising his eyebrows even as he tried to convince himself that it didn't. He couldn't complain – he had brought it on himself. Just like every other misfortune he had been through since meeting Link.

Link scowled at him, not saying anything else as he glanced around the corner again. Dark rolled his eyes, both at himself and at the Hero, but stayed silent as well. He was torn. Watching Link sneak around was definitely more amusing, but then having him in a cell was so much safer.

It would be all right if Dark left him to his own devices for a little while, surely?

'Goddesses, is she _ever_ going to move?' Link suddenly hissed, still peering down the corridor. Dark followed his gaze, watching the woman and again wondering how she hadn't noticed them.

'Why don't you distract her then?' Dark suggested, earning himself a sharp, suspicious glance. All the same Link didn't say anything in reply, just glancing around before picking a small stone up off the ground. Frowning slightly Dark glanced around the corner again, wondering why the Hero didn't just use one of the many objects he seemed to have stored in all of his pockets, but didn't say anything as he felt like whatever was about to come would be quite amusing.

He was right. A moment later Link had leaned out around the corner and thrown the rock, only for it to hit the Gerudo right between the eyes. She made a startled noise, readying her weapon and advancing down the corridor straight towards them. Dark sighed despairingly at the Hero's hopelessness.

'Oh for Farore's sake…!' Link hissed, obviously having not meant to hit the Gerudo in the first place. Dark snorted softly, earning himself another sharp look before Link was backing away down the corridor, too slowly to escape before getting caught.

When the Hero did turn to run Dark took the opportunity launch himself at the retreating green figure, tackling him to the ground with a loud thud and several violent exclamations. Straddling the Hero Dark pinned one arm to the floor while twisting the other up against his back until he elicited a small whimper of pain.

'Get off- get off of me!' Link yelled, wriggling with all his might. Holding him fast Dark kept him pinned to the floor, glancing over his shoulder as the Gerudo approached at a quick pace.

'What's going on here?' She demanded, glaring at Dark with her fierce amber eyes. Adjusting his grip on the squirming Hero Dark gave her a thin smile.

'He got out again,' he explained. 'Don't worry – I'll take him back to his cell.' The Gerudo narrowed her eyes at him, glaring silently for a long moment, before she shook her head slightly.

'Make sure you do,' she said brusquely. 'At this rate _someone's_ going to get seriously hurt.' They may not have liked him, but they did trust him. More or less.

'Indeed,' Dark agreed, rising and hauling Link to his feet as he did. Link glared daggers at him over his shoulder but Dark paid them no heed, just rolling his eyes. Forcing the Hero to spin around before, keeping a tight grip on his wrists, marching him back up the corridor Dark followed the Gerudo back along the corridor she had been guarding, taking a left at the top while she stayed at the end, glaring down at the crates at its foot.

'Get off of me,' Link growled as they reached the adjacent corridor's halfway mark, wriggling violently. 'Get off me right now or I swear to all three goddesses-' Not waiting for the end of the threat Dark complied, pushing him away lightly so that he staggered before whirling back around.

'What are you doing?' The suspicion in the Hero's tone was to be expected, but Dark couldn't help but roll his eyes at it.

'Watching you roll around in a cell is _not_ how I want to spend my time,' he explained, watching Link edge away from him slowly. 'This is much more entertaining.'

'Yeah, 'cause my pain and suffering are _so _much fun. You're just waiting to screw me over, aren't you?' Link guessed bitterly, stance still defensive.

'Maybe,' Dark conceded, shrugging lightly. 'But this way you at least have a chance of escaping, don't you?'

'Why're you doing this?' Link demanded, folding his arms protectively across his chest as something sad darkened the blue of his eyes, something that Dark didn't care for at all.

Sighing softly Dark shrugged again. 'Don't you have some workers to rescue?' Pulling a face Link muttered something under his breath, though Dark didn't think he wanted to know what it was, before the Hero had spun and was marching away down the corridor. Lifting his eyes to the heavens for a moment Dark followed, trailing along behind Link by about a metre.

It appeared as though the Hero was just aimlessly wandering the fortress in search of the workers he had promised to rescue, as more than once Dark found himself following Link in circles through various parts of the fort, and at other times clambering about on the roof in search of places the Hero hadn't yet visited. Therefore it seemed to be a complete coincidence when they _did_ stumble across another room set up like the one that had contained the cell Link had been repeatedly flung into.

After this repeated about five times, they reached a room where there _was_ a person in this room's cell, which immediately made Dark suspicious. As the Hero ran ahead he hung back, not trusting there to not be any guards nearby. He didn't want to be seen wandering around with Link, because then it would look like he was helping him.

A sudden exclamation of 'watch out!' confirmed his suspicions, as a Gerudo thief dropped silently from the rafters behind Link, her dual scimitars held high. Link however, didn't even seem surprised, engaging with her easily and knocking her to the ground just minutes later. A small key slipped free of her pocket as she fell, stunned, which Link scooped up swiftly. As Dark watched from where he was hovering in the shadow she clambered to her feet, shaking her head as if dazed, before vanishing back the way she had come. Only when he was sure she was gone did Dark move to hover behind Link as he unlocked the cell.

The imprisoned carpenter meanwhile, was doing some kind of weird victory dance, his brightly coloured clothes flapping about with each movement. Dark rolled his eyes, folding his arms as Link moved into the cell to complete his latest good deed.

The recently freed carpenter introduced himself, imparting a few words of wisdom about the desert as he did so – namely that Link needed to use his strange magical lens to find his way through it to the colossus at the end – before running off blindly into the fortress, which seemed like an incredibly stupid idea to Dark.

'I've seen your fine work,' a voice suddenly said behind them and Dark cringed away from the sound.

Busted.

Turning he found a Gerudo thief stood behind them, hands on her hips as she stared at Link. 'You must have good thieving skills to get past the guards here.' Sure, if wandering around aimlessly until you got to where you wanted to be was skilful.

'Uh, thanks?' Link replied, casting a few nervous glances at the cell door that she was dangerously close to.

'I used to think almost all men, besides the great Ganondorf and a few others, were useless…' she paused to glance at Dark who looked away, annoyed that he had let his guard down and had his cover blown. 'But seeing you, I don't think so anymore.'

'Does that mean you're not going to lock me up?' Link asked, to which Dark sighed despairingly.

'I was put in charge of this fortress by our exalted leader, Nabooru. She is the second-in-command to the great Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo Thieves, and her headquarters are in the Spirit Temple, located at the end of the desert,' the Gerudo said by way of answer, and Dark had to wonder what Link thought of her description of Ganondorf as 'great', or the slight reverence that entered her tone as she spoke of him. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, so Dark assumed it hadn't filled him with joy.

'Why're you telling me this?' Link asked, a slight edge suddenly audible in his voice.

'You must want to become one of us, right?' The Gerudo replied, her tone becoming more cheerful despite Link's more hostile one. A slight smile graced her face as she leaned forward. 'All right, then – you're in from now on!'

What._ What?_ No, this couldn't be happening. The sudden urge to bash his skull against the nearest wall almost overwhelmed Dark as he watched the Gerudo hand Link a token much like the one he himself had, the one that gave him free access to the fortress and ensured he would no longer be thrown in a cell.

This was the worst. Why was it that whenever Link was involved _all_ of Dark's plans backfired so spectacularly? Did he accidentally not put in enough effort because of whatever leftover sentimental feelings he was clinging to? Or was it just destined to happen – the "Hero" vanquishing the darkness, the shadow, that was following him around?

He was so fed up with all his plans failing!

'Hey, Dark, check it out!' Blinking Dark found Link waving his newly acquired membership token in his face. 'No more jail cells for me.' He had a stupid, goofy grin on his face that made Dark want to either smile back or _punch_ him.

'Congratulations – how does it feel to be an honorary member of _the great _Ganondorf's tribe?' Dark couldn't help it. Link was just such a perfect outlet for his annoyance. At his words the Hero's smile dropped away into a scowl.

'You just have to suck the fun out of everything, don't you?' He said, pouting like an angry child.

'Why, you aren't overjoyed then?' Dark replied, feigning innocence.

Link's scowl deepened. 'I guess that's another one of your plans failed then, isn't it?' He countered. 'And hey, if this "Nabooru" lady is Ganondorf's second-in-command, what does that make you?'

'Did I ever say I was his second-in-command?' Dark queried, raising his eyebrows. 'I just said I'm not his servant.' Link stared at him for a moment before folding his arms, spinning away with an angry huff. Resisting the urge to strangle the Hero – and realising he was being counterproductive as he did so – Dark licked his lips slowly, taking a deep breath past the irritation. Trying to reassure himself that there was a high chance that Link would die out in the desert Dark trailed after the Hero as he stalked away, trying to convince himself that just stabbing the Hero right there and then would solve _all_ of his problems.

As ever, though, he couldn't bring himself to do it, instead just drifting along behind Link like the shadow he was.

Link's bad mood didn't last long, however, as he was overtaken by a childish glee when he found he could wander around the fortress as he pleased without any fear of being attacked or jailed again. Meanwhile, Dark's grew steadily worse as he followed, trying in vain to convince himself to murder the Hero or do _something_. It was pathetic, really. Maybe he should just announce who Link was to any and all Gerudo, and see what they did then.

Stupidly, though, he kept his mouth tightly shut, finding himself fighting a smile as he watched Link's excitement. In fact, it was the fairy who seemed the most exasperated of them, trying repeatedly to convince her charge to _stop fooling about and go to the next temple._ Dark _did_ smile at that, glad that Link was irritating her rather than him for once.

'Link, please.' She finally snapped as Link once more rushed through a room in which were stationed a few Gerudo, all of whom who paid him little mind. They exchanged exasperated looks, but their weapons remained leant on the ground passively. Dark followed the Hero more slowly, rolling his eyes as he shot the women apologetic looks. Goddesses, the Hero was such a child sometimes.

'We don't have time for this, Link!' The fairy was persistent, moving to hover in front of him in an effort to make him halt. He did so, frowning at her blue form. 'I'm sorry, I know you're enjoying this, but we _really_ have to get a move on.' They stared at each other for a long moment before Link sighed, sagging where he stood.

'You're right, sorry.' He didn't sound particularly apologetic, more morose than anything. Dark halted about a metre away, folding his arms as the fairy rose until she could see over Link's shoulder.

'Who knows what _they're_ planning,' she muttered, definite hostility being exuded from her small body. Bristling Dark bit his tongue, pulling his arms more tightly to his chest.

'Don't worry Navi.' Link glanced over his shoulder at Dark, grinning widely. 'We'll just screw up _those_ plans too.' Dark scowled at him, but it was probably true. Everything else had failed, why was he even bothering anymore? He hadn't even been thinking about what he was going to do as he followed Link around, too caught up in the Hero's excitement. Goddesses, what was becoming of him? What had happened to his ability to think clearly, rationally?

The Hero had ruined _everything_.

But the worst part was that, honestly, Dark didn't mind all that much.


	12. Chapter 11 - Link

_**AN: Didn't forget this week! I'm actually on a roll right now, and I've nearly finished the entire story - ooh, exciting! I can say with confidence that this marks just over the halfway point, as there's going to be twenty chapters, possibly nineteen depending on how long I can drag it out for. But for now, focusing on the story I **_**have_ uploaded, big thanks to silverheartlugia2000 and princessanime29 for you reviews! It means a lot!  
Now, on with the chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are appreciated always and forever!  
_**

Eleven – Link

Just like Link had predicted, the desert was a terrible place. It was hot, it was sandy. It was hot. Weird plant monsters kept trying to eat his feet. He couldn't see a thing with all the sand the _incessant _wind was throwing around and he felt like he was _frying_. How Dark was still alive under his insanely heavy black cloak was a mystery. At the very least he didn't seem to be able to do anything apart from trudge along beside Link, as opposed to being a jerk, or being an even bigger jerk. Link was still angry at him. Sometime soon he was gonna confront his brother, and he got the feeling it wasn't gonna be pretty.

As he inhaled another mouthful of sand Link bit back a frustrated scream. How'd he gone from running around the Gerudo Fortress without a care in the world to trudging through knee-deep sand in a _sand storm_? He kept losing the Poe he'd been told he was s'posed to follow, and he was pretty sure he was gonna end up wandering into some death pit because of it.

Still, he kept on because what choice did he have? He couldn't turn back now – he'd be even more likely to fall into a pit of death if he did – but he didn't want to keep going either. It was awful, a complete nightmare. The heat made everything about a million times worse, and Link didn't know if he was going to break down into a fit of sobs or _kill something _first. Maybe both. At the same time. He would probably end up crying while he killed Dark. That would be horrible. Not that Dark hadn't asked for it, but Link wasn't Dark – he had absolutely _no _desire to even try killing his own brother.

He was so exhausted he couldn't even be bothered to keep an eye on said brother, though Link doubted he was up for plotting or attempting murder right now. Especially not under that crazy cloak. Link was bad enough in his light tunic; he couldn't even begin to imagine how much torture moving around under a black _rug_ would be.

As it was Dark didn't even look affected, still upright where Link was hunched against the wind, sand and _heat_, keeping time with the Poe when it was actually possible to see it. In as foul a mood as he was Link found himself thinking bitterly about how much he hated his brother. Well, it was only fair if Dark hated him too, right?

Goddesses, Link couldn't remember ever being so grumpy.

When the sandy wind suddenly died down Link's first thought was that he was hallucinating, but when he took a moment to rub the sand out of his eyes he realised it was, in fact, real. The Poe'd vanished, leaving them alone a few hundred metres away from a huge stone structure. The Colossus, he guessed.

'Thank the goddesses,' he groaned, leaning on his knees for a minute as he caught his breath, just enjoying the lack of wind even if it did mean the heat was even worse. He could literally feel his exposed skin roasting, but he didn't care. He was free of the storm.

'How are you even alive?' He panted, looking at Dark who was stood a little way away with his arms folded.

'Surprising, isn't it, that I'm the one who copes with a bit of heat better?' Dark mused in reply, not looking at Link who scowled at the side of his hooded face. 'Aren't you a powerful Hero?'

'I'm just a normal guy being forced to fight some other stupid evil guy,' Link replied, waving the insult away. 'What do you expect?'

'A little less whining,' Dark said, and Link had to forcefully stop himself from strangling his brother. Yup, this definitely had to stop. And soon. Or they were seriously going to kill each other.

'Ignore him, Link,' Navi said from where she'd burrowed into the front of his tunic to avoid being blown away. 'Let's just go.'

'Right.' Link obeyed, trudging forward across firmer sand, dodging a few more plants trying to eat his ankles, all the while headed for the Colossus. It took a surprisingly long time to reach it, though even the seconds seemed to drag by the longer he stayed exposed to the the glaring sun. He was kinda missing the cooler storm by the time he reached the giant statue, staggering into the shade of its entrance where he all but collapsed on his face. Even the _great and mighty_ Dark moved to lean against one of the shadowed walls, seeming to become almost invisible even in the pale desert shade. Maybe it his shadowy appearance that kept him cool, like he was standing in constant shade.

If so, Link was definitely jealous.

All the same, he only gave himself a few minutes to relax, straightening with a soft groan and forcing himself to stagger through the entrance of the Colossus. A pot slamming into his face sent him staggering back out a second later, where he collapsed in a heap, pain radiating through his nose. Wasn't his head already battered enough?!

He was seriously going to snap soon.

As it was he found himself fighting back tears of fury mixed with exhaustion mixed with pain as he cradled his face, staring up at the face of the Colossus through his fingers.

After a moment his view was blocked by Dark as his brother bent over him, red eyes glowing in the shadow of his hood.

'What?' Link snapped after a few seconds, when Dark didn't say anything. 'Go ahead; laugh at how pathetic I am. I know you want to.' Dark sighed heavily, sounding exasperated, before suddenly stretching out a hand.

'All my attempts to kill you have failed grandly so far,' he said when Link just stared at him, confused and suspicious. 'But I refuse to let something as pathetic as a pot be the death of you.'

Link didn't understand his brother.

They were going to have a talk soon, even if it killed him, but for now Link just took the offered hand, letting Dark haul him to his feet with a soft grunt.

He didn't thank him, though. He was too annoyed for that.

When he ventured into the Colossus for a second time he kept his shield raised high, bracing himself as a few more pots crashed into it. So now even ceramic jars were out to get him? The goddesses sure were having fun torturing him, weren't they?

But really? _Pots_?

Once all the hated pots were completely smashed, maybe with a bit more force than they should've been, Link was free to wander around the entrance hall, reading the inscriptions on the weird snake statues that said he, of course, had to go back to the past to move forward. Of course. Of _course_. Did that mean he had to run through the desert again? He hoped not. He _really _hoped not. He'd rather just give up his whole quest than do that trip again.

It wasn't a surprise, though, when a minute later he found himself traipsing back outside, Dark and Navi in tow, fuming. This was the worst. The absolute worst. Why couldn't he just screw the rules? Screw the goddesses? He hated the desert. Loathed it. Maybe that was why Ganondorf was so evil. Because he'd been brought up in this bowl of sand and death and _heat_.

It was as he was storming out of the entrance that a familiar figure dropped out of nowhere in front of him, landing lightly and kicking up small puffs of sand. Link halted, wondering if he could really be bothered to deal with Sheik's cryptic words right now.

'Past, present, future…' the Sheikah began, and Link decided he couldn't.

'I'm gonna stop you there,' he said, lifting his hand. 'Can we _please_ not do this today? I'm in a bad mood, my head is killing me, and I don't think my brain can handle your riddles right now.' Sheik stared at him for a long moment, apparently surprised, until a snort behind Link distracted them both.

'Sorry, don't mind me,' Dark said, waving a hand. He was leant casually against one of the broken pillars that stood outside the Colossus, watching in silence like always. 'Just pretend I'm not here.'

'You are…' Sheik trailed off, tensing up. Link sighed, waving his hands around in the air.

'Okay – Sheik this is Dark, my brother, Dark this is Sheik, my friend.' He got the feeling trying to stop the building tension between the two was pointless, but his head hurt too much to be dealing with them fighting.

'We've met before, Link,' Dark pointed out, tone lazy. 'He called me a monster and attacked me. It was a great first impression.'

Link sighed. '_Dark_…'

'I apologise, I misread the situation. However, I cannot understand why the Hero of Time's brother is working for the King of Evil – though it does seem fitting.'

Link sighed. '_Sheik…'_

'What's that supposed to mean?' Dark demanded, straightening abruptly. 'Don't compare me to that idiot.' He pointed at Link. 'And what would you know? Who are you to judge me?'

'I am-' Sheik puffed himself up before deflating suddenly, folding his arms. '-A concerned citizen, who cannot allow creatures of evil to run rampant in these lands.'

'Oh, how _noble_,' Dark spat, eyes flashing beneath his hood. 'People like you make me sick.'

'The feeling is entirely mutual,' Sheik shot back, eyes narrowing over his scarf.

'_Both _of you make _me _sick!' Link yelled, massaging his temples lightly as his head throbbed. 'Goddesses, you're both so annoying! Am I really the only kid here?!'

Neither of them replied, staring at him with surprised expressions. Link glared back at them both, breathing heavily.

'Now,' he turned to Sheik. 'Why're you here?'

'To- to teach you another song for your ocarina,' Sheik replied after a minute, brushing his fringe out of his eyes as he, hopefully, calmed down. Link shot Dark an irritated look over his shoulder, and his brother raised his hands in mock surrender as a reply.

'Right,' Link said, turning back to the ninja as his lyre appeared in his hands. Link found his ocarina in response, holding it lightly between his fingers.

'Now, listen to this: the _Requiem of Shadow_. May it guide a child back to the desert.'

By child, Link assumed Sheik meant him, and by desert, Link hoped he meant the one they were stood in.

That was an improvement. He wouldn't actually have to traipse through the desert goddesses knew how many times. This was good. He wasn't so annoyed at Sheik anymore.

Tired as he was it took a few tries for him to memorise this new tune, and once he did Sheik vanished without another word in a puff of sand, though not before eyeing Dark very seriously and shooting a meaningful look at Link. Link couldn't be bothered to try and work out what said meaning was, instead just turning to Dark grumpily.

'Stay here,' he grouched, clutching his ocarina tightly. 'I'll be back in a minute, probably.'

'All right,' Dark said surprisingly obediently. 'Please don't hurry back.'

'Yeah, yeah.' Link sighed and waved the words away, deciding not to tell Dark that they were going to have a talk when he got back. He'd probably come back to find Dark gone, never to be seen again.

Without waiting for any more insults Link turned away, conducting a series of teleports to get to where he wanted. To the Temple of Time, to the past, back to the Colossus.

When he got there he headed straight inside, shield at the ready for any more pots that flew his way. Once they were all smashed he continued on, climbing the stairs up to the back of the room where he defeated a few moving statues that tried to blow him up, noticing the tall figure crouched by one of the walls as he did. When he approached they straightened, showing themselves to be a tall Gerudo woman. Nabooru, he guessed. This _was _supposed to be her headquarters, after all.

'I haven't seen you around before, kid,' she said after a short staring contest, putting her hands on her hips. Link hadn't really realised how tall the Gerudo were when he'd been the same height as them, but now that he was small again she seemed awfully tall. 'Though you look kind of familiar.' She shook her head, setting her bright hair bouncing. It reminded Link of Ganondorf, and he almost scowled. 'What do you want?'

For a moment Link scrambled for an answer, wondering how he could explain to one of Ganondorf's minions that he was on a quest to defeat Ganondorf. 'Uh, to see the temple,' he said eventually, noticing the small hole in the wall behind her. Is that what she'd been looking through?

'You're a kid,' the Gerudo said derisively, folding her arms. 'The temple's no place for kids!' Link did scowl at that, pursing his lips in annoyance.

'But I'm bored,' he whined, wondering if she felt anything about kids. Knowing his luck she probably hated them, but he could still _try_ emotional blackmail. 'I have nothing to do.' It was true, kind of. There wasn't anything else he could do beyond finding the "power of silver" the inscriptions had talked about.

'Really? What good timing!' She suddenly grinned. 'Can you do me a favour, kid?'

'Uh…'

'Actually, wait, I need to ask you something first. You wouldn't happen to be one of Ganondorf's… followers, would you?'

'What? No!' Just the thought made him feel sick. 'I _hate _Ganondorf!' The words slipped out before he could help it and he grimaced, suddenly remembering who he was talking to.

'Huh.' The Gerudo made a sharp noise, but he couldn't tell what of. 'You've got guts. I think I like you.'

'Great…' Link didn't know what to say. That wasn't what he'd expected.

'Let me introduce myself first. I am Nabooru, of the Gerudo, a lone wolf thief. _But_. Don't get me wrong. We're both thieves but me and Ganondorf? We're _nothing_ alike. He steals from women and children, and he even kills people.'

'Uhuh.' Link decided to let her keep talking, even if he already knew Ganondorf was an evil psycho. He didn't mind hearing other people say the same things that he thought. He was a little confused, though, 'cause he could've sworn the future Gerudo had said the woman in front of him was Ganondorf's second-in-command.

'You're just a kid, so you probably don't know this, but all of the Gerudo are women. It's only once every hundred years that a man's born. The law says that man must become King of the Gerudo, but I will _never_ bow to such an evil man.' Oh, if only Dark were here to hear this. 'By the way, kid, what's your name?'

'Link,' Link told her, deciding he'd found an ally.

'What's up with that stupid name?' Nabooru gave a spiteful laugh and Link scowled at her, which made her laugh more. 'Well, anyway, like I said I want to ask you a favour.'

'What?' Link asked, suddenly not wanting to help her at all.

'Will you go through this tiny hole and find the treasure inside? They're silver gauntlets, and they let you push and pull super heavy things.'

'Hm…' Link hummed thoughtfully, thinking.

'No, no no no, kid. Don't even think about taking them for yourself. They won't fit your tiny hands – be a good boy and bring them back to me.'

'Why should I?' Link asked stubbornly, crossing his arms. 'And didn't you _just_ say the temple was "no place for kids"?'

'You really do have guts, don't you?' Nabooru smiled coldly, looming over him threateningly. Link leaned back despite himself. 'I need those gauntlets to get into the deeper parts of the temple – Ganondorf and his minions are using it as a hideout. I'll steal all their treasure and mess up their plans!' She raised a clench fist in excitement, but Link's stomach had just twisted, his body flashing cold.

Ganondorf and his minions were here? Did that mean Dark was nearby? They could be right next to each other and never even know it.

Turning Link stared at the rock blocking the other side of the room, curling his hands into fists as his fingers trembled. Dark was…

'Oi, kid, are you listening?'

'Yeah, sorry.' Link turned back to Nabooru, who was frowning at him. 'I'll do it – I'll get the gauntlets.'

'Thanks, kid!' Nabooru grinned widely, stepping aside so his path was clear. 'Let's you and I give Ganondorf and his minions a surprise, shall we?'

'Yeah.' Link grinned back, finding her excitement contagious.

'If you get me those gauntlets, I'll do something good for you,' Nabooru said, which sounded kinda ominous, but Link just nodded vaguely before stepping up to the hole in the wall. He took a breath and then crawled through, dusting off his knees when he reached the other side.

The dungeon on the other side was fairly straightforward, and he noticed as he went that everything seemed to rely on light to work. He wondered how Dark would handle that when he no doubt followed Link through the Spirit Temple, and honestly imagining it made him smile a little meanly. He nearly got cut in half by a giant, axe-wielding armour monster for daydreaming though, which he took as a sign from the goddesses to not stoop to Dark's level. Or maybe it was just a sign to stop spacing out during battles.

All the same, Link reached the outside world pretty unscathed, though his mood took a plummet when he found that giant owl waiting for him. What was its name? Kaepora Gaebora, or something?

'What's up Link?' It hooted as he approached, scuppering his plans of sneaking by unnoticed. 'Surprised to see me?'

'Something like that,' Link grumbled, cringing when the owl twisted its head round uncomfortably far.

'How mysterious that a long time in this world is nothing to you, eh?' Link didn't say anything, just half-glaring up at it. He didn't get time-travel, really, so he didn't feel like explaining it. Or trying to explain it. Failing to explain it, whatever.

'Even I thought the tales of a boy who travels back and forth in time were a legend.' So apparently the owl knew anyway. 'The future of all Hyrule is on your shoulders, now that you're a fully matured adult.'

Link wanted to argue, he really did, 'cause he didn't feel like a "fully matured adult", but he couldn't. He knew the fate of Hyrule was in his hands, however much he hated it, and he knew he had to defeat Ganondorf no matter what. He didn't need an owl reminding him of that.

'I have one final piece of advice for you,' the owl continued, oblivious as ever. 'Two witches reside in this temple, and to defeat them you must turn their powers against them.'

'Okay, thanks. I'll remember that.' Not wanting to spend any more time in the owl's presence Link nodded once, turning and walking away quickly. He heard it fly away a moment later, and sighed in relief. Goddesses, everybody wanted to give him riddles and advice, didn't they?

Continuing on along the ledge he was stood on Link found a chest after a few minutes of walking, opening it to find the gauntlets Nabooru, and the inscriptions, had told him about. Picking them up slowly he peered at them, absently trying to put one on. As Nabooru'd said they were too big, so he tucked them away in pocket as he tried to decide whether to just head straight to the future or give them to the Gerudo.

Even as he pondered his dilemma, a sudden gust of sandy wind distracted him.

'Get off! Where are you taking me?' A familiar voice suddenly shouted nearby. 'Let me go!' Link moved to the end of the ledge he was stood on, finding himself looking down at the temple's entrance. Nabooru was waist-deep in sand, and for a moment Link thought two overly large birds were circling her until he realised it was two old ladies on brooms.

'You- you fiends! Ganondorf's minions…!' Nabooru was struggling, trying to pull herself free, but it wasn't working. As she squirmed she suddenly caught sight of Link, who was watching with growing horror. He needed to help her. 'Link- get out of here!' She yelled as the sand climbed up to her neck. 'These witches, they're using black magic-' She broke off with a terrible scream, and then she was gone. Link stared in horror at the place she'd last been, backing away from the ledge slowly as the witches, cackling hoarsely, drifted back into the temple.

'Farore help me,' he sighed, sitting down for a minute. At least his dilemma about the gauntlets was solved, but now he had an even bigger problem on his hands. How was he going to save Nabooru? Thinking hard he picked his way down the side of the temple until he could jump down onto the sand below.

Moving to stand in the entrance of the temple Link frowned, folding his arms. He couldn't get further into the temple without using the gauntlets, and they didn't fit him as a kid. But then, if he was going to go back to the future that meant that Nabooru was gonna be the witches' prisoner for _seven years_, and he couldn't let that happen. But he couldn't reach her as he was now.

'Argh…!' Rumpling his hair with both hands in frustration Link sighed, staring up at the temple. He didn't have a choice, really. He'd have to leave Nabooru for seven years. He should've been used to doing that by now.

Before he could upset himself any more Link turned away, warping to the Temple of Time, to the future, back to the Colossus. Trudging back to the Colossus Link tried very hard to ignore the guilt twisting in his stomach and making him feel sick, but it was impossible. It was only a few seconds for him, but he'd just abandoned someone to black magic for seven years. He'd also, again, let Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm and therefore, again, let him destroy Hyrule, corrupt Dark. All that great stuff.

For a second, when he approached the entrance, Link thought Dark was gone, 'cause his brother was nowhere to be seen. Heart sinking Link ploughed on, walking faster as he looked around for his brother. He caught sight of him a few metres from the Colossus.

Dark was sat in the shade of the entrance, hood down for once, and he looked like he was asleep.

Moving closer carefully Link pursed his lips, unable to tell if Dark was actually sleeping or not. However, once he got a little closer one red eye opened to survey him lazily.

'Have a nice trip?' Dark asked, closing his eye again and leaning more heavily against the wall.

'No,' Link said grumpily, stepping closer and kicking his brother's shin gently. 'Get up – I take it you're coming with me?' Dark didn't say anything, but after a moment he sighed and clambered to his feet, brushing down his cloak slowly. 'Great, now let's go.' Link didn't wait for a reply, wondering when exactly he should make Dark talk to him as he entered the temple, slashing the pots that flew his way before heading to the back of the room.

He didn't bother to check if Dark was following – he was sure he was – as he squared up to the large rock that blocked the path that led deeper into the temple, pulling the gauntlets on slowly. He was pleased to find they fitted now, though nothing felt like it changed when he put them on.

Apparently something _had_ changed, though, because when he braced his hands against the stone and pushed it actually moved. It was still heavy, but it moved. Straining against it, feeling his feet slide against the floor, he slowly shifted it until the floor gave way beneath it and it fell, leaving him with a clear path into the temple beyond.

'So that's the "power of silver", huh?' Dark mused behind him.

'Yeah. Impressed?' Link turned to look at his brother, but all he got in reply was an eye roll. Shaking his head Link set off.

He had a Gerudo to save, two witches to kill, and an estranged brother to have a talk with. This temple was gonna be awful.


End file.
